Zoom unveiled its future visionOS app today, ahead of the Friday launch of Apple’s Vision Pro. The app is scheduled for release on February 2. The new software includes features like 3D item sharing, a chat tool called “Team Chat,” “persona” support that allows users to utilize a virtual avatar during chats, and more.
With Apple’s Persona feature, users may view a three-dimensional image of themselves in Vision Pro after providing a facial scan. Persona is supported by Zoom’s specialized software, which lets meeting attendees see one other’s hand and facial gestures. Utilizing the AR capabilities of the headset, Zoom on Vision Pro will also allow video chats to appear as a floating window that blends in with the user’s surroundings.
“Zoom on Apple Vision Pro creates an immersive experience that can be scaled to the perfect size, which is ideal for users wanting to feel like they are in the same room as their colleagues and customers without the need for additional physical equipment or setup,” the company writes in a blog post.
The visionOS apps’ three-dimensional interface allows users to exchange 3D files in Zoom and witness objects interacting with their surroundings. As an example of a use case, the business cites game design, stating that it might enable creators to “collaborate and share the latest character model” with colleagues. Zoom adds that 3D object sharing will be made available later this spring, but it won’t be available at launch.
This spring, Team Chat and a function Zoom refers to as “real-world pinning” will also be added to the app. Team Chat, a rival to Slack from Zoom, makes it simple for users to share files with coworkers. The conversation function on the video conferencing platform was introduced in March 2023.
Finally, users of the Vision Pro headset may locate and pin up to five Zoom conference participants. The startup hopes that by giving users the choice to hide the backgrounds of pinned participants, it would make them feel more connected.
About 200 specialized apps, including those from streaming providers Disney+, Max, Discovery+, Amazon Prime Video, Paramount+, Peacock, Pluto TV, Tubi, Fubo, and Crunchyroll, will be available on Vision Pro, which is priced at $3,499, among others. Interestingly, though, Netflix, Spotify, and YouTube aren’t on the list, which may indicate that some businesses don’t think Vision Pro will be all that successful at first.