So you just got Vision Pro and you’ve mastered the basics but now you want to see the coolest stuff on the headset. We’ve got a great list here of the best Vision Pro apps to download first to really see what Apple’s ‘spatial computer’ is capable of. Many of these are also great to demo Vision Pro to friends and family.

Why This List?

Now you might be thinking “who are you and why should I think your suggestions for the best Vision Pro apps are any good?” And, you know what… I respect that skeptical approach to media consumption. So let me tell you why you can trust me.

My name is Ben Lang and I’m the founder of this here publication, Road to VR. I’ve been reporting on XR (what Apple calls “spatial computing”) for more than a decade. I’ve spent thousands of hours in XR, and used every major headset made to date, including being one of the first members of the public to ever use Vision Pro. I’ve used every app I’m recommending on this list. And beyond all of that, I lead Road to VR’s series Inside XR Design and Insights & Artwork which explore what makes great spatial app design.

The Best Apple Vision Pro Apps to Download First

This list aims to present the very best Vision Pro apps that represent the variety of immersive experiences you can have in the headset. Now I know you want to jump into your headset ASAP, so I’m going to give you the list right up front with details further below if you want to know more before diving in head-first.

Best Vision Pro Apps Table of Contents

  1. Encounter Dinosaurs
  2. Puzzling Places
  3. Blackbox
  4. Wisp World
  5. Apple Immersive Videos
  6. Synth Riders
  7. Loona
  8. AmazeVR Concerts

1. Encounter Dinosaurs – Free

Encounter Dinosaurs is the most immersive experience I’ve seen on Vision Pro yet, and probably the best place to start if you want to wow your friends and family with a demo. And the best part is, it comes pre-installed! You can find the experience on your app home screen with an icon of a dinosaur footprint.

In this five-ish minute experience the wall will open for you to peer into the prehistoric world. You’ll get up close and personal with dinos big and small, with incredibly sharp graphics.

Pro Tip: Some people will be viscerally afraid when they come face-to-face with a life-sized dinosaur, especially if they’ve never done an immersive experience like this. You might not always be able to guess how people will react when confronted with something that looks as realistic as Encounter Dinosaurs.

So if you don’t already know that someone is going to be chill—even when their instinctual brain is telling them they’re in real danger—consider having them start the experience seated in a chair. Trust me, you don’t want someone ripping off your $3,500 headset and tossing it to the ground, or running directly into the nearest wall. Using a chair is also an especially good idea in the case of people who have balance or stability issues, like seniors.

If they’re still relaxed in the chair after the big dino comes out, that’s the time to encourage them to stand up and get closer for an even more immersive experience.

2. Puzzling Places – Free

If you like doing 2D puzzles, just wait until you try spatial puzzles. Puzzling Places is a 3D puzzle game that’s way more satisfying than you might think. Each puzzle is built from a 3D scan of a real place. Once you’re finished, you’re looking at a detailed model of a beautiful little scene—which is an even better payoff than seeing the completed image of a 2D puzzle. Even as someone who isn’t a big puzzler I find Puzzling Places very fun!

Pro Tip: While you’re holding a puzzle piece, you can use your other hand to rotate the puzzle by looking at it and pinching, then dragging it around. This can make finding the spot for your next piece much easier. And if you’re really kicked back and relaxing, you can rotate the puzzle with a single hand by dragging the piece you’re holding near the puzzle, then pushing it to the left, right, top, or bottom of the puzzle.

3. Blackbox – $20

If you like brain teasers more than puzzles, Blackbox is the app for you. From the creator of the inventive iOS app of the same name, this version of Blackbox is completely reimagined for Vision Pro. In it you’ll be presented with small challenges that test your wit and sometimes even your imagination. Solutions are often simple once you know them, but you’ll spend some time scratching your head before the lightbulb goes off, making your eureka moment that much more satisfying.

4. Wisp World – $10

Wisp World is fascinating because it’s not quite a game but also not quite an app. It takes the form of a sort of digital desk ornament. It’s like a little alien bonsai tree, but with an adorable little forest spirit that lives on it. You can feed your little friend by knocking buds off the tree and popping them, then watch as it goes after them like a goldfish at feeding time. As you feed and talk to the spirit the little biome will change and grow.

Pro Tip: Wisp World is a ‘volume’ app, which means that even though it’s 3D it can stay open next to other apps. It’ll stay right where you put it, so consider setting it on your desk or tucking away in a nice nook in your home, the same way you’d place a plant or aquarium. Then when you happen to be over that way, check in on your little friend and see what they’re up to.

5. Apple Immersive Videos – Apple TV+ Subscription Required

These aren’t technically apps that you download; they’re streaming video experiences that you’ll find when browsing the pre-installed Apple TV app on Vision Pro. While you might be used to seeing 3D movies in a movie theater, Apple Immersive videos are 3D VR180 videos, which means that instead of looking through a window into the scene, you practically feel like you’re sitting right there. The footage wraps around you so you can even look around the scene by turning your head.

There’s only four Apple Immersive videos available right now, and they vary in length:

Adventure (13 mins)

Immerse yourself in the world of adventure like never before. Join pioneering athletes as they face extraordinary challenges in some of the world’s most spectacular locations. Hailing from Atlantic Productions and produced by Apple Immersive Video, the first episode, titled “Highlining,” will offer an escape into thin air with highliner Faith Dickey as she takes on her highest challenge yet: a daring traverse 3,000 feet above Norway’s breathtaking fjords.

Alicia Keys: Rehearsal Room (20 mins)

‘Alicia Keys: Rehearsal Room’ is an intimate, short film that offers viewers a rare glimpse into the Grammy winner’s creative process, including a rehearsal session featuring renditions of her hits “No One,” “If I Ain’t Got You” and “You Don’t Know My Name.”

Wild Life (7 mins)

Get up close and personal with some of the most charismatic creatures on the planet — and uncover what makes them unique with the experts who know them best. The first episode brings viewers into the world’s largest rhino sanctuary where a former police captain has dedicated her life to rescuing, raising and rewilding these gentle giants.

Prehistoric Planet Immersive (4 mins)

Inspired by the award-winning Apple Original docuseries from Favreau and the producers of Planet Earth, “Prehistoric Planet Immersive” is a new film that whisks viewers along a rugged ocean coast where a pterosaur colony settles in for an afternoon nap — one that proves to be anything but restful. Viewers will transport into the daily lives of dinosaurs, experiencing T-Rex teens crashing a quiet colony of pterosaurs on the beach until mama shows up to break up their party, and an intense battle between raptors and a pride of Triceratops in the forest.

Personally I’d recommend ‘Adventure’ first for its breathtaking views and the way it immerses you in the tension of the subject. Then check out ‘Alicia Keys: Rehearsal Room’ for a taste of the ways that immersive video can make you feel like you’re right there in a place you’d otherwise never get to be.

6. Synth Riders – Apple Arcade Subscription Required

For an immersive gaming experience, check out this port of a popular VR rhythm game, Synth Riders. It’s been rebuilt from the ground up for Vision Pro, but the idea is the same: swing your arms to the beat and go for a high score. If you really get into the vibe you’ll feel like you’re dancing! This is the closest thing you’ll see to Beat Saber on Vision Pro probably for quite some time.

7. Loóna: Cozy Puzzle Games – Free (with in-app purchases)

Loona is a spatial puzzle game, but compared to Puzzling Places it’s less challenging and more casual and cozy. Each puzzle is a beautifully crafted set of 3D models that play out a bit like a paint-by-number—it’s pretty obvious where each element goes, but watching the little scene come together has its own satisfying charm. That makes Loona great for chilling out and good for youngsters too.

Pro Tip: The puzzles in Loona can be scaled to any size. Look at the puzzle, pinch both hands, then drag together or apart to change the size. It’s fun to scale the puzzle up to life-sized or to make it small and bring it onto the table in front of you. You can also spin the puzzle by pinching with just one hand then dragging.

8. AmazeVR Concerts – Free (with in-app purchases)

AmazeVR Concerts puts you face-to-face with famous entertainers in a way that you couldn’t pay for even if you wanted to. These specially filmed immersive scenes are part performance, part music video, and all around a really interesting way to experience music in a full VR experience. In AmazeVR Concerts the scenes completely surround you and the artists dance and sing right in front of you like a concert that you’ve got the one and only ticket to.

You can preview any of the available performances, but you’ll need to make an in-app purchase to unlock the full experience.

Currently available within AmazeVR Concerts:
  • Zara Larsson
  • T-Pain
  • UPSAHL
Coming soon:
  • Megan Thee Stallion
  • Avenged Sevenfold
  • aespa

Did we miss any great apps for Vision Pro? Let us know in the comments below!

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Ben Lang
Ben is the world's most senior professional analyst solely dedicated to the XR industry, having founded Road to VR in 2011—a year before the Oculus Kickstarter sparked a resurgence that led to the modern XR landscape. He has authored more than 3,000 articles chronicling the evolution of the XR industry over more than a decade. With that unique perspective, Ben has been consistently recognized as one of the most influential voices in XR, giving keynotes and joining panel and podcast discussions at key industry events. He is a self-described "journalist and analyst, not evangelist."
  • MackRogers

    ONE great app to download first. Juno for Youtube

    • Christian Schildwaechter

      It’s USD 4.99, but apparently worth it with YouTube actively blocking the iPad app from working on AVP, and the small UI elements of the YouTube browser client running in Safari rather difficult to hit with only eye and hand tracking. AFAIK you don’t get 3D/360° video (???), but it’s a big improvement.

      And maybe someone will come up quickly with a similar solution for Netflix. Juno is basically a web view packaged inside a native AVP app, but that alone improves usability a lot.

      • MackRogers

        I find using Netflix in Safari extremely easy. Would a native app be nice? Sure. But in 15 seconds I can easily get into full screen any movie/show I want.

        It was heralded as this huge black eye for Apple and borderline unusable. I can’t believe how much fear mongering and idiocy takes place around these clickbait articles. It is laughably easy to get Netflix up and running with a Safari bookmark full 4k no degradation.

        Youtube has a lot more small clickable things on screen so the Juno app is nice, but again, nowhere near a deal breaker. You create a “subscriptions” bookmark in Safari and you are right there.

        I haven’t even explored “shortcuts” yet which I imagine makes it even simpler.

        Hilarious the fear-mongering and doomsday there was pre-launch about the “Netflix snub” You would have thought it was inaccessible or broken. It works perfectly fine. 15 seconds I can get into anything I want.

        • Christian Schildwaechter

          It will depend a lot on the individual user. My parents have been “online” since the mid 90s, because all their kids were in some way involved with programming or content creation on the early web. And despite a quarter century of exposure, watching them take several minutes and attempts to get through a trivial process involving a few windows and clicks that would take me just seconds with shortcuts, basically requires Zen training. So I always appreciate it if there are solutions that remove the tiny rough edges that for “normal people” can make all the difference between using an app and quickly giving up.

    • Octogod

      RIP Apollo

  • XRC

    “Trust me, you don’t want someone ripping off your $3,500 headset and tossing it to the ground, or running directly into the nearest wall.”

    Just like the Vive Pre days then?

    Mine survived numerous wall encounters including one friend who during the “Abbot’s Book demo” ran into and headbutted a wall so hard he knocked himself out for a couple seconds, ending up with a nosebleed and mild concussion.

    Somehow, the Vive Pre only had a feint mark on the outer casing.

    • Christian Schildwaechter

      I travelled to gamescom 2015 just to get one of the last demo spots for the Vive Pre. They were well prepared, having several purpose built large demo rooms on their booth with the floor and walls covered in thick carpet to deal with accidents.

      It took me about a minute to step onto the cable with one foot, then while making a step forward with the other hit the now stretched cable and rip all the connectors out of the linkbox. The presenter was not amused, had to restart the whole demo and confirmed that I was the first one that had managed to mess it up this way. I also hit the walls with the controllers several times, but they had anticipated that, so it caused no harm.

      There were several reports/videos of people smashing their headset into the ground due to the devious developers of Budget Cuts implementing a hatch in the floor. Imagine wearing a USD 3500 AVP, crawling on the floor and smashing the front glass while trying to look through an imaginary hole in the ground, triggering a USD 799 glass replacement, or “only” USD 299 if you already pay USD 25 per month for AppleCare+. Luckily the AVP will switch to passthrough with obstacles appearing or the user moving around, and developers now try to avoid situations where people will injure themselves or destroy their equipment.

      • XRC

        Those early days were simply magical despite some “accidents”. Fond memories of hitting various things whilst trying to break out of the rock cave at the start of “Irrational exuberance”.

        Early 2017, had access to huge empty premises in London’s Canary Wharf, took my Vive and put my PC on a wheeled trolley with 25 metre power cable drums for PC and both lighthouses, which were bolted to heavy base 4 metre tall towers allowing easy repositioning.

        “Roomscale plus” sessions over three weeks with about forty people going through including some people from Google AR/VR team and numerous VR newbies. Vive equipment was bombproof with the HMD and controllers surviving numerous impacts.

        6.3 X 6.3 metre with sync cable was our usable limit providing huge tracked volume with “tether assistant” tracking the user to prevent entanglement or tripping, and eventually someone pushing the PC around the room after the user, when experiment to extend tether with active cabling didn’t work.

        • Christian Schildwaechter

          Early versions of “mobile VR” involved an astonishing amount of power cables, and required several people to move all the needed hardware.

          I’ve always hoped that someone would release ports of “classic” VR demos like Rift Coaster or Tuscany Villa for newer HMDs, but it would probable be somewhat pointless. The reason these were so “magical” on a clunky 3DoF 50Hz HMD at 640*800 pixels per eye was that nobody had ever experienced anything like that before. Just like seeing the first Jurassic Park in the cinema or watching “Walking with dinosaurs” in PAL/NTSC on release.

          Someone who has been accustomed for years to now much better CGI, or has seen a few videos of the Quest or AVP, would probably react with a puzzled look and “so what?” And somehow the Quest versions of Dreadhalls or Affected just don’t have the same impact, despite looking way better and being more polished.

      • dextrovix

        I enjoyed that, well done. I went to some gaming event around that time too that had the Vive Pre, and I didn’t get to choose the game when it was my turn. It was Elite Dangerous which whilst great in VR, was stationary and I desperately wanted to try Budget Cuts, oh well. Off topic I know, but I seem to remember that the display looked like it was comprised with hexagons, was that your experience?

        • Christian Schildwaechter

          I don’t remember that, but honestly, I don’t trust any of my memories about the early VR experiences any more. I have seemingly vivid memories about Windlands on DK1 and even a smartphone VR game called “The height” from the company selling the Durovis viewer, predating Google Cardboard. In my memory the graphics are smooth and there are no clunky pixels, which is impossible, and I actually remember how hard it was to read even large text.

          Much higher resolutions and improved graphics from newer headsets apparently altered my recollection of earlier experiences, with the infamous rosy (VR) glasses causing unrealistically positive retrospection. The emotional impact was most certainly there, but the “person” that scared me shitless by unexpectedly appearing in a Cardboard demo on a 720p phone of what I though was just walking around a spaceship, can’t have been more than 30 mushy blue pixels high. I still have the DK1 somewhere, but probably shouldn’t ever try it again to not spoil my own memories. Just like it is not a good idea for people to connect their childhood Nintendo Gamecube to a TV again 20 years later.

          • dextrovix

            I never had a DK1 but did try one in 2013 I think briefly, and at a local(ish) computer museum last year. Yeah, reading text is pretty much impossible. Best left to memories!

          • kraeuterbutter

            Indeed, I’ve kept my Vive for this very reason.

            Not only do I need the base stations for the Index and possibly other headsets in the future
            it’s also time to reconnect with the Vive. This isn’t about tarnishing fond memories; rather, it’s about appreciating the remarkable progress VR technology has made.

            I recall playing ‘Quar: Battle for Gate 18.’ Back then, with my Vive and a GTX 970, I struggled to read the in-game text. Upgrading to a GTX 1070 helped a bit, as it allowed for supersampling, yet the text remained challenging to read. Recently, I tried the game again with a Quest 3 and was amazed at how much clearer the text was, something I once found difficult to decipher.Revisiting the Vive, therefore, is a reminder to appreciate the current state of VR technology. It’s less about lamenting why we don’t yet have OLED displays with 6kx6k resolution for 1000 euros, and more about recognizing and valuing the advancements we’ve seen so far.

    • Andrew Jakobs

      Damn, I completely forgot about Abbot’s book and that other demo from the same devs, shame they never released a full game.

  • xyzs

    That’s…. The best for a 4k “computing” plateform?

    They should have considered putting less crap like the useless facial screen that doesn’t work and make it cheaper because that’s a poor offering. They should have also considered treating the devs with respect so that they can bring their creation over without feeling not worth being helped, with no dev kits,
    no respect torward xr standards, or no controller support etc.

    They call it a spatial computer but you have no file access like real computers can do. This stuff is no more no less than an iPadVR.

    I hope the OS gets features for grown ups soon because currently, no real work can be achieved with it.

    • Christian Schildwaechter

      It’s the “best” for people coming from VR, looking for more XR stuff. What many reviewers liked most so far is rather boring, but nice/useful stuff, like watching 2D plus some 3D movies, replaying “spatial” videos of their kids shot on iPhone, using AVP with a bluetooth keyboard to write their reviews on large iPad MS Word windows floating in the air, or editing videos in Final Cut on a Mac, with AVP just serving as a huge, wireless 4K display.

      Those productivity use cases already working pretty well might get a few people to hand over USD 3500+++, but aren’t exactly representative of what a room scale XR HMD with hand tracking could actually do. The apps listed in the article might help someone who thought having a floating 2D screen was great to better grasp the things that will come to AVP in the future.

  • Christian Schildwaechter

    Some people will be viscerally afraid when they come face-to-face with a life-sized dinosaur, especially if they’ve never done an immersive experience like this.

    The engadget AVP hands-on report from mid January included a hilarious passage:

    Cherlynn Low: Fun fact about me: Dinosaurs don’t scare me, but butterflies do. […] imagine the trauma […] watched a butterfly land on their fingers […], before dinosaurs came bursting out of a screen to roar at them. […] The first time this happened, I… screamed a bit […] seeing the insect’s legs make “contact” with my finger. […]

    Then the awful butterfly flew away and a cute baby dinosaur came out, followed by two ferocious dinosaurs that I then stood up to “pet”. It was much more fun after, and actually quite an impressive showcase of the Vision Pro’s ability to blend the real world with immersive experiences, as I was able to easily see and walk around a table in front of me to approach the dinosaur.

    With how well Puzzling Places fits AVP, its (very deserved) high ratings and the sheer amount of DLC they pump out (and sell) on Quest, I wonder if this will be AVP’s first XR hit game or even killer app. And the missing Pro Tip tip for Immersive Videos – Adventure: Do not watch it if you are afraid of heights!

    You never know how people will react to VR/XR, until they try it themselves.

  • ViRGiN
  • ViRGiN

    Hopefully this article gets updated rather than reissued so comments like this can remain.

    From this moment on, I’ll be making sure I tell everyone on RoadToVR that I’ll try and counter my negative and uncited posts with a more balanced view by reply.

    I can’t help posting what I do because I have learning difficulties, but I’ll try and make up for it. And you can bet wherever I go, I’ll have someone watching me, correcting me, every step of the way.

    • Gabe Zuckerwell

      Fake profile lmao

      • ViRGiN

        As I’ve never said, the best way to deal with trolls is to go firming for their (admittedly, very small) testicles. You should be happy, this is only for use when I post terrible untruths, then I’ll try and counter them with something more balanced.

        • ViRGiN

          hi gayben
          you sound unemployed

          • ViRGiN

            hi gayben I appear to be talking to myself what’s going to happen now I don’t know because I cad hardly put words together that sounds ko-here-unt but you know when life gives you lemonade mommy ive done a potty

          • ViRGiN

            i mean, whatever.

      • ViRGiN

        I don’t care about the down vote, it’s more you understanding why this has to be done after the years of crap posted on here, and can appreciate the bigger picture.

        • ViRGiN

          imitation is the highest form of flattery

          i gained cult hatred for saying valve don’t care about vr. valve news network got cancelled for sharing similar sentiment.
          others like ‘brad’ gained cult following for desperatly trying to prove the opposite, failing miserably at it.

          you do you.

          • ViRGiN

            I should be more respectful of other people’s opinions and I wonder why I write these statements when VR needs all the help it can get from all hardware and software companies and that includes Valve with SteamVR, and Sony with PSVR. The more we have, the more it becomes mainstream. I call myself a similar sounding word to ‘cult’ in the mirror.

          • ViRGiN

            i’m not even chuckling.

          • ViRGiN

            I’m not expecting to be amused. But I will ensure I continue to post on future articles when I get a hint of who it is. Good luck.

          • ViRGiN

            What I need to do is conduct myself with more decorum, because for some reason I don’t and often don’t reply when other posters might make valid points and have my views challenged. So I shouldn’t think of myself as some sort of evangelist when I am in fact a narcissist. It’s my choice.

          • ViRGiN

            Appreciating your self-awareness here. Recognizing the need for change is the first step. Engaging with an open mind and respect, even when challenged, can lead to more enriching conversations. It’s all about growth and understanding. Keep at it!

          • ViRGiN

            I will need to ensure that this sentiment is reflected in future articles and not copied from a third party.

      • ViRGiN

        Actually, it wouldn’t surprise me if this is a sleeper account and I’m speaking to the real deal. We’ll see.

      • david vincent

        Yeah the real one has been blocked since long by the smart people

  • ViRGiN

    Ah… now you see, the only person I want to get a response won’t be the other people on here who have a sensible debate. And I can understand that you might understandably be surprised that I’ve had a change of perspective. But with hand on heart, it’s because I was recently kicked in the head by a horse.

    But that might mean my initial posts will likely be like my old self, with the same repeated and bigoted views. And then perhaps replied to, with something exactly the opposite. Just like schizophrenia.

    Now, with that statement in mind, is it any clearer what might be going on here…?

  • Gabe Zuckerwell

    He would replace real life with vrchat if such surgery would be possible, so his statements are mostly meaningless.

    • MackRogers

      Don’t talk about Brad like that. Do you understand?

  • VirtualRealityNation

    I agree with your list. My wife shrieked when she tried to pet the raptor dinosaur in Encounter Dinosaurs. I also liked the Lego demo. I would love to see more demonstrations that take advantage of the M2 chip and really show some well done and detailed 3D scenery. I thought the Dinosaurs demo was extremely well done though. Love to see more apps like that.

  • STL

    Dear Ben Lang, Sony just learned the hard way what it means, if you sell a wonderful piece of hardware without any relevant software. So I got rid of my PSVR2, got myself a 4000 Euro PC and a Quest 3 instead and may now play Skyrim with Mods.
    Apple will learn as well. These titles are laughable.

  • Andrew Jakobs

    Puzzling Places
    Shame it never got a SteamVR version.