visionOS 27 arrives as a free update on Monday, September 14, 2026, the same day as iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27 Golden Gate and watchOS 27. Apple’s visionOS 27 page leads with Siri AI in beta, and Apple Vision Pro is one of only two platforms where Siri AI works in the European Union at launch.
Apple’s page states it plainly: “visionOS 27 available starting 9.14.” The visionOS 27.0 release candidate, build 24M362, appeared on Apple’s developer releases page on September 9, the day of the “Surprise and shine” event covered in our event recap.
Key facts
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Release date | Monday, September 14, 2026, free |
| Release candidate | visionOS 27.0 RC, build 24M362, September 9, 2026 |
| First developer beta | June 8, 2026, build 24M5291p |
| Apple Intelligence hardware | Apple Vision Pro with M2 or later |
| Siri voice customization | Apple Vision Pro with M5 |
| Siri AI | Beta, English first; five more languages in October |
| Siri AI in the EU | Available on Vision Pro when set to a supported language |
| Startup and Wi-Fi | Up to three times faster, per Apple’s test on an M2 Vision Pro |
| New Environment | Thórsmörk, an Icelandic aurora with shifting hues |
visionOS 27 release date and which Vision Pro models run it
Apple has not given a release time. Its updates usually land around 10 a.m. Pacific, the caveat that also applies to the September 14 iOS 27 release.
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Apple has not published a compatibility footnote for visionOS 27 the way it has for iOS and macOS. What it does publish is the Apple Intelligence requirement, Apple Vision Pro with M2 or later, which covers both the original headset and the current M5 model listed on Apple’s Vision Pro tech specs page. Siri voice customization is the one feature Apple ties specifically to the M5 headset.
Siri AI and Visual Intelligence on Vision Pro
Siri AI ships in beta and in English to start, with French, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese and Spanish due in October according to Apple’s September 9 press release. Apple Intelligence itself covers 16 languages.
The regional detail matters for European buyers. Apple’s wording is that “Mac and Apple Vision Pro users in the EU will be able to access Siri AI when set to a supported language,” while “Siri AI will not be available initially in the EU in iOS, iPadOS, and watchOS.” So a Vision Pro in Berlin gets the new assistant on day one, while an iPhone 18 Pro in the same room does not.
Visual Intelligence takes its most natural form here: Apple says it lets you ask Siri about almost anything just by looking at it. The Siri app collects conversations in one place and uses iCloud to sync history, so a chat begun on a Mac can continue in the headset, or on iPhone, iPad or Apple Watch. Server-backed features carry daily usage limits, and Apple says expanded access will be sold for a fee in the future.
| Item | visionOS 27 | iOS 27 |
|---|---|---|
| Siri AI in the EU at launch | Yes, with a supported language | No |
| Visual Intelligence | Ask Siri about whatever you look at | Siri mode in the Camera viewfinder |
| Apple Intelligence hardware | Vision Pro with M2 or later | iPhone 15 Pro and later |
| Voice customization hardware | Vision Pro with M5 | iPhone 17 Pro, Air, 18 Pro, Duo |
| Published compatibility list | None on Apple’s page | Yes, iPhone 11 and iPhone SE 2nd generation and later |
The spatial features that are new this year
- Spatial Mac previewing: bring 3D models from a Mac into your space to preview and edit them, using the new Spatial Preview framework.
- Panorama to spatial scene: turn a panorama into a spatial scene and set it as a personal Environment.
- Curved windows: windows with curvature so more content fits comfortably in view.
- Thórsmörk: a new Environment based on an Icelandic aurora with dynamic, shifting hues.
- Web Environments: Safari now supports fully immersive web experiences.
- Quick Look: wireframe and UV map overrides, plus annotations on 3D models.
- Reality Composer Pro 3: game asset creation, simulation, Script Graph and Live Previews with Mac Virtual Display.
Interface, apps and performance
The system changes are smaller but easier to feel. Notifications expand when you look at them. Control Center is reorganized into three areas. Dwell Control now selects by glance without waiting on a timer. Widgets gain an extra-small size and a Mac Virtual Display widget.
Apple says the headset starts up and connects to Wi-Fi up to three times faster, tested in August 2026 on an M2 Vision Pro running visionOS 26.6 against prerelease visionOS 27. Safari groups bookmarks and Reading List items by topic, Freeform adds board grouping, folders and spatial object grouping, Messages syncs faster with better unread counts, Podcasts can search within a show, and Passwords warns about weak or compromised entries with automatic updating promised in a future release.
Image Playground with photorealistic images is here as it is on every other platform, which is the same Apple Intelligence stack that runs on the iPhone Duo and the rest of the 2026 lineup.
What Apple has not said
Apple has not published a visionOS 27 release time, and it has not published a device compatibility list for the update, only the Apple Intelligence requirement of M2 or later. It has not said when Siri AI leaves beta, which languages follow the five arriving in October, or what expanded server access will cost. The Passwords auto-update is marked for a future software update with no date. Apple has also not said whether the new Environment and Web Environments features work identically on the M2 headset and the M5 one.
The next step is straightforward. On Monday, September 14, open Settings, then General, then Software Update on Apple Vision Pro. The update is free, and Siri AI appears as a beta for headsets set to English, including in the EU.
