Later this week, Microsoft will release a suite of its Microsoft 365 apps for Apple’s Vision Pro headset. On February 2, the same day that Apple’s new headset goes on sale in stores, Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, Loop, and Microsoft Teams will all be accessible on the App Store for Apple Vision Pro.
Owners of Apple Vision Pro headsets will also get access to an AI-powered version of Copilot, which allows for voice-activated PowerPoint presentation generation, document summarization, and draft creation.
Word on the Vision Pro has a touch-friendly ribbon interface in addition to a focus mode that resembles the reader mode seen in desktop versions. With the Vision Pro, you can make PowerPoint slides and practice presenting with the software. Excel contains the most of the functionality included in ordinary versions of Excel, along with the ability to make charts and tables and analyze data.
Microsoft has released a 3D and VR experience for Microsoft Teams that is limited to using Meta’s Quest headsets; however, Apple Vision Pro will not support Microsoft Mesh at launch. According to Lori Craw, director of Microsoft 365 marketing, “We will continue bringing innovative experiences to new devices, including bringing Microsoft Mesh to Apple Vision Pro in the coming year.”
Microsoft Teams will allow Apple’s “persona,” a digital avatar created using facial recognition, during video conversations, much like the Zoom app on the Apple Vision Pro. In addition, Microsoft has included emoji reactions and, of course, the capability to engage in Teams’ chat feature. Additionally, moving a Teams meeting from a desktop or mobile device to the Apple Vision Pro and back again will be simple.
There are a few noteworthy exceptions to the Microsoft, Disney, and other companies that are supporting Apple’s Vision Pro headset at launch. This week, neither Netflix nor YouTube will release Apple Vision Pro apps, so users of Apple’s headgear will have to stream videos from a web browser.