Apple gave fans and techies a lot of cool stuff to look forward to during WWDC 2023, and in addition to new high-powered Macs and silicon, the company also officially unveiled its yet-to-be-released AR headset. With that being said, we also got some software previews for Apple’s mobile and desktop computing platforms, iOS and macOS.
With regards to the latter, Apple offered a taste of what we can expect from macOS Sonoma, the latest version of its desktop OS. While it’s not yet available until Fall this year, we already have an idea of what to expect once it arrives for consumers – let’s take a look!
Widget Upgrades
To start things off, macOS Sonoma packs some shiny new upgrades with widgets, which now have a bit more added functionality. Users will be able to customise their desktop with widgets, alongside a widget gallery that contains all the available widgets for use on their device. Apple says that Widgets will now be able to blend in seamlessly with a computer’s wallpaper for a more subtle look. There’s also support for Continuity, so widget functionality is preserved between iPhones and Macs.
Updates to Video Conferencing
Users can also expect improved video conferencing functionality once Sonoma makes its debut. One of these is “Presenter Overlay,” a video effect that displays a user on top of content that they’re sharing through video. There will also be support for reaction emojis, including balloons, confetti, hearts and more, which will be compatible with gesture activation. Additionally, there will also be support for improved Screen Sharing picker, allowing users to click the green button in the top-left corner of an app and choose to share it during calls.
Safari Upgrades
Apple’s Safari browser will also get new upgrades with Sonoma. Apple will bring over a new update for Private Browsing in the form of more advanced tracking and fingerprint biometric protection, which the company says should prevent websites from identifying users. Private Browsing windows will automatically lock when users are not actively using them, so tabs still remain open when away from a device.
Safari will also get updated support for user profiles which keeps topics, cookies, history, extensions, Tab Groups, and Favourites separate between different users. Furthermore, users will be able to sign in to the same site with both work and personal accounts with seamless switching. Apple is also bringing over web app creation, allowing a user to set their favourite sites for instant access, with a simplified toolbar for an app-like experience.
Gaming… on a Mac?
While Macs stand out from most other computing platforms due to their impressive performance capabilities, gaming hasn’t exactly been a major highlight despite this advantage in power. Apple does say that it will be bringing over support for additional gaming titles once Sonoma becomes available – this will include AAA games including DEATH STRANDING DIRECTOR’S CUT, Stray, Fort Solis, World of Warcraft: Dragonflight, HUMANKIND, Resident Evil Village (Winters’ Expansion), The Medium, ELEX II, Firmament, SnowRunner, Disney Dreamlight Valley, No Man’s Sky, Dragonheir: Silent Gods, and Layers of Fear. Metal 3 for Mac will give developers a new game porting toolkit, which Apple says will lessen the time needed to fully port over existing games for Mac.
macOS Sonoma will also feature Game Mode, which will supposedly provide better performance by prioritising CPU and GPU usage when gaming. This is also comes with lower audio latency (provided that you are using AirPods), and reduced input latency with PlayStation and Xbox controllers. Game Mode will work with any game that a user has installed on their Mac.
Enhanced Hybrid and Remote Pro Workflows
For productivity, macOS Sonoma will bring along a new “high performance” mode when using the Screen Sharing app, which will focus on giving users low-latency audio, high frame rates, and support for up to two virtual displays. With this feature, users will be able to access their content creation workflows when needed editing in Final Cut Pro or DaVinci Resolve, for example.
Accessibility Features
Apple adds that Sonoma will come with a range of accessibility features to aid users who might need such functionality. Users with hearing disabilities can use their Made for iPhone hearing devices alongside their Mac for calls and content consumption, and Live Speech during calls and conversations, for users who are nonspeaking. Users with physical and motor disabilities can make use of phonetic suggestions when dictating and editing text with Voice Control on Mac.
For users with cognitive disabilities, animated images like GIFs can be automatically paused when viewed by Messages and Safari. Additionally, users who are blind or have low vision can easily customise text size in addition to using VoiceOver’s screen reading feature.
it’s pretty clear that macOS Sonoma is shaping up to be a big upgrade. Of course, there’s still the issue of whether or not it might come with some few bigs and hiccups along the way – nothing is perfect, after all. If you’re dead-set on downloading the update, you’ll have to wait until fall as we mentioned earlier, although a developer beta of the OS is now available at the Apple Developer Program, with a public beta to follow next month.
