visionOS 27 becomes available on Apple Vision Pro on Monday, September 14, 2026, alongside iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27 Golden Gate and watchOS 27. Apple’s page for the update names a new Environment, curved windows and a set of spatial features that have nothing to do with Siri AI, the assistant most of the September coverage has focused on.
Apple has not published a separate visionOS 27 device-compatibility footnote the way it has for iPhone, iPad and Mac. Apple’s Apple Intelligence device table names “Apple Vision Pro (M2 and later)” as eligible, which implies the earlier M2 Vision Pro is covered, though Apple has not stated that as a standalone visionOS 27 compatibility line.
Key facts on visionOS 27
| Item | What Apple publishes |
|---|---|
| Release date | Monday, September 14, 2026, free |
| Base Apple Intelligence | Apple Vision Pro (M2 and later) |
| Siri voice customization | Requires Apple Vision Pro (M5) |
| Siri AI | Beta, available in English to start, available in the EU when set to a supported language |
| New Environment | Thórsmörk, described by Apple as “an Icelandic aurora, featuring dynamic, shifting hues” |
| Startup and Wi-Fi | Connects “up to three times faster” (Apple’s August 2026 test, Vision Pro M2, visionOS 26.6 versus a prerelease build of visionOS 27) |
What is new beyond Siri AI
- Curved windows: “Windows with curvature let you comfortably see more content.”
- Web Environments: “Safari now supports fully immersive web experiences.”
- Panorama to spatial scene: turning a panorama into a spatial scene and setting it as a personal Environment.
- Spatial Mac previewing, through a new Spatial Preview framework, to “bring 3D models from Mac into your space to preview and edit them.”
- Reality Composer Pro 3, with game asset creation, simulation, a Script Graph tool and Live Previews using Mac Virtual Display.
- Dwell Control, a glance-based selection method that does not require a timer.
- Control Center reorganized into three areas, and Quick Look gains wireframe and UV map overrides plus 3D model annotations.
- Freeform adds board grouping, folders and spatial object grouping, and Messages gets the same faster sync and unread-count improvements Apple lists for iOS 27.
- Widgets gain an extra-small size and a dedicated Mac Virtual Display widget, and Podcasts adds search within a show.
- Notifications can expand with an eye-based gesture, and Safari automatically groups bookmarks and Reading List items by topic, the visionOS version of the Tab Topics feature on iOS.
Apple markets almost none of this against Siri AI directly. The visionOS 27 page presents the assistant as one section among several, alongside a redesigned Environment and a set of window and input changes that are specific to a headset rather than a phone, tablet or Mac.
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Two chip tiers, one operating system
| Tier | Requirement | What it unlocks |
|---|---|---|
| Base Apple Intelligence | Apple Vision Pro (M2 and later) | Siri AI beta, Visual Intelligence, Image Playground, Genmoji, Writing Tools |
| Advanced on-device tier | Apple Vision Pro (M5) | Siri voice customization (pitch, speed, tone, accent) and an improved on-device Dictation model |
Every Vision Pro on Apple’s Apple Intelligence list, meaning any model with an M2 chip or later, gets the visionOS 27 beta of Siri AI and the rest of Apple Intelligence’s everyday features. The higher tier is restricted to Apple Vision Pro (M5) specifically, the chip in the current model rather than the original M2 version, the same two-step pattern Apple uses on iPhone, iPad and Mac.
Siri AI on Vision Pro, and the EU exception
Apple’s Siri AI footnote names three operating systems it excludes from the EU at launch: “Siri AI will not be available initially in the EU on iOS, iPadOS, and watchOS.” visionOS is not one of them. Apple’s wording for Vision Pro matches what it says for Mac: EU users get access to Siri AI when set to a supported language, the same treatment iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch do not receive at launch.
What Apple has not said
- Apple has not published a visionOS 27 device-compatibility footnote separate from its general Apple Intelligence device list.
- Apple has not confirmed a month for Siri AI languages beyond English on Vision Pro.
- Apple has not given a time of day for the September 14 rollout, only the date.
- Apple has not announced new Vision Pro hardware alongside visionOS 27.
visionOS 27 becomes available Monday, September 14, 2026, as a free update for Apple Vision Pro. It ships alongside iOS 27, and our event recap and iPhone 18 Pro coverage cover the rest of what Apple announced this cycle.
