Apple wants visionOS devs to avoid two terms: it’s AR and VR

Apple Vision Pro is coming very soon; pre-orders begin on January 19, and it will hit shelves in the US on February 2. If that’s not all, it is also tipped to sell like hotcakes. It runs on Apple’s upcoming visionOS, especially for Apple Vision Pro. Now, let’s delve into Apple’s strategy on the developer front. California’s tech major has laid out stringent guidelines, urging developers not to label their applications for visionOS as “AR” or “VR.”

Apple doesn’t want visionOS apps to be called AR or VR

After Apple shared details about the Apple Vision Pro launch, they updated Xcode so that developers can now submit visionOS apps to the App Store. But there’s a rule: Apple doesn’t want developers to use terms like “AR” and “VR” for their new apps. They want to make it clear that visionOS is for spatial computing, not the traditional AR or VR stuff.

There’s more to it. The company has asked developers to avoid using terms such as AR, VR, XR, and MR, according to 9to5Mac. Notably, these terms stand for Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, Extended Reality, and Mixed Reality, respectively. Notably, folks at TechRadar pointed out that Apple primarily markets the Vision Pro as a “spatial computing” platform. However, at the 2023 WWDC, Apple CEO Tim Cook presented it as an “entirely new AR platform.” You read it right, AR.

Apple’s new laws for developers

A new page on the Apple Developer website outlines all the recommendations and requirements for launching Apple Vision Pro apps on the App Store. The guidelines cover various aspects, including testing procedures, screenshot preparation, icon creation, and more.

Additionally, Apple provides instructions on how developers should name and describe their apps. Apple’s demand from developers to meet requirements such as using the lowercase “v” for the “visionOS” comes as expected. However, the rule against using AR or VR, nevertheless, stands out.

For users eager to experience the Apple Vision Pro, it comes at $3,499 for the 256GB storage variant. It is available exclusively in the US for now.