Apple's Vision Pro headset will finally go on sale on February 2nd and is already available for pre-order. But even as the launch of spatial computing headsets gets closer and closer, we continue to learn new things about what they can and cannot do. Expectations for the headset are understandably high and all eyes will be on early adopters to see how things change. However, a new report suggests that there may be one glaring omission in terms of VisionOS' first feature set.
According to the report, Vision Pro may not support Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) when it launches next month. A PWA is a website that can be treated almost like a real app on certain devices, including the iPhone. When you tap “Add to Home Screen” in Safari, the icon added to your iPhone is a PWA. And this allows for some specific features, including the ability to receive notifications and run without a stable internet connection. These are two features that standard websites cannot provide.
However, it now appears that Vision Pro will not support PWAs, at least not at launch, which could be a limitation considering the number of developers and companies that have decided not to bring their apps to the platform so far. For example, the YouTube website cannot send Vision Pro owners notifications of new videos. Moreover, if you want to visit a website like YouTube, you have to launch Safari and then select the bookmark. This is because there is no option to add web apps to the home screen.
Directing or design?
This was all noticed by developer Steve Moser, who posted on
Apple Vision Pro does not support Progressive Web Apps (PWA). This means that users won't find an “Add to Home Screen” option in Safari. Without PWA support, you won't be able to use features like web push notifications. As a result, applications that don't run… pic.twitter.com/hfejtF6IJoJanuary 22, 2024
It's unclear whether this limitation is by design or will be added in a future VisionOS update. As Moser said in a follow-up post, “If visionOS doesn't support changing home screen layouts on day one, 'iPhone didn't support MMS at launch.'” Interestingly, Parker Ortolani's answer also confirmed that “you can do it.” You can't even customize your home screen layout in the simulator.” This too is likely to change in the future.
These restrictions only apply to the Vision Pro and VisionOS simulators; the final Vision Pro headset may also support PWA and home screen editing. But it's impossible to know whether that's true or not because Apple has been so secretive and restricted how hands-on events take place.
Regardless, the Vision Pro headset is almost here. Those who haven't pre-ordered yet may have to wait for delivery after the February 2nd release date. Pricing starts at $3,499 for the 256GB model, with 512GB and 1TB models also available for those who feel they need more space to install apps and content.
Apple is already believed to be hard at work developing a more affordable Vision Pro, but there are few details about what features it will cherry-pick and when it will go on sale. For now, anyone who wants to see what Apple's spatial computing future will look like will have to splurge on a high-end MacBook Pro.