The world of technology never ceases to amaze us. The recently announced Apple Vision Pro has generated a lot of excitement and anticipation since its unveiling at WWDC 2023. Although it won’t be in stores until 2024, Apple has already released the visionOS SDK, allowing developers to create and test apps for the Vision Pro on their Macs. And you’ll never guess what app they’re testing on the Apple Vision Pro.
A complete operating system within vision OS
App may not be the word, but we get the idea. What no one expected is that an entire operating system, in this case Windows XP, would find its way to this advanced piece of hardware. In a jaw-dropping demonstration, the developers of UTM, a well-known QEMU-based virtual machine emulator and host for iOS and macOS, showed a video in which they managed to boot a Windows XP virtual machine on the visionOS simulator.
It is true that this advance comes with certain limitations. The most important one is that, although Windows XP has been successfully emulated, input support has not yet been implemented. This means that, although the operating system boots and displays, there is still no way to interact with it. But, as with everything in technology, it’s only a matter of time before UTM developers overcome this hurdle and we have Microsoft’s well-known operating system running on Apple’s first space computer.
A closer look at UTM, visionOS and the potential of this tool
Beyond the initial surprise, it should be noted that what we are talking about is a proof of concept. It is interesting to note that visionOS is based on iPadOS, which is already compatible with UTM, so the logical step was to adapt it to the new device. UTM, as a toolkit, allows users to run different operating systems, including Windows, Linux and macOS, on iOS and Mac devices. Now, with its adaptation to visionOS, the operating system of the Apple Vision Pro –filtered in fact more than three years ago and against which Google does not want to compete-, a range of possibilities opens up, but there is something to keep in mind.
Since Apple does not allow virtual machine apps on iOS, UTM will not be available on the App Store. For those adventurers who wish to try this peculiar combination, they will have to resort to alternative methods such as TestFlight. That said, having a full operating system like Windows XP running in a floating virtual window on a mixed reality device is something that was unthinkable until recently. And, it’s easy to have doubts about the practical utility of running Windows XP on a device like the Vision Pro, the simple fact that it is possible is a testament to the tremendous work Apple has done in developing the Vision Pro and to the flexibility of the hardware and software involved.
Internally, what is the Cupertino company’s first space computer and its first device dedicated to augmented reality, has the powerful M2 chip and a new R1 chip dedicated to rendering and processing in real time the images captured by its cameras and sensors. An M2, in this case, should be enough for Windows XP to run smoothly, which, more than anything else, shows us the enormous potential of this hardware and software when, in a few months, it will be available for sale to the general public.
The future of mixed reality technology looks really promising, and with advances such as the emulation of complete operating systems – even if we are talking about a proof of concept – the limit is in the imagination. The Apple Vision Pro promises to revolutionize the market, and with developments like UTM’s, it’s clear that developers are ready to make the most of it.
Some of the links added in the article are part of affiliate campaigns and may represent benefits for Softonic.
