Windows XP is coming to... Vision Pro?

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Though it will need tweaking, Windows XP works on Vision Pro

A picture of Windows XP running on the Apple Vision Pro
(Image credit: UTM / Apple)

The Vision Pro is shaping up to be a very impressive device and this is only made more impressive by its ability to run Windows XP. In an update shared by an App store developer, a video shows the ancient operating system running on the cutting edge Apple AR headset.

Though it doesn’t launch until next year, this is a sign of what it is capable of running further down the road. If you love the look of the Vision Pro but don’t really like the macOS, maybe Windows will work out a bit better for you. Though it is only Windows XP right now, it seems likely Windows 10 will come along too. 

An old school way to use new tech

The video, posted to Twitter by UTM, a virtual machine app for Apple, shows Windows XP running on a simulated Vision Pro. Shown off potentially for the humourous element of running an old OS on tech that hasn’t even launched yet, this could mean we’ll get other operating systems in the future. 

UTM can be used to run operating systems like Linux, Windows 10, Windows XP, and more on your Mac. It uses a virtual computing environment to run the OS on hardware that traditionally would run something else, or require loads more work to run natively. Given that the Vision Pro runs on Mac architecture with an M2 chip, it’s no surprise that UTM wants to bring its computing program over.

Though we anticipate the actual launch of the Vision Pro to come with some software changes, this is an impressive demo of where it could go in the future. At the moment it is only running with Windows XP, although other OSes could well come in the future. 

The team has not yet worked on implementing input devices, which is to say that the controls don’t work just yet — but the program will open up and run. As yet, we’re not sure what other programs will be brought over, but we’ll be watching with eagle eyes as more information becomes available.

As a tool for what we can do with the Vision Pro, this is a very interesting demo. Hopefully, we’ll see Linux and Windows 10 closer to the official release, sometime next year. 

James Bentley
James Bentley

James is a staff writer and general Jack of all trades at iMore. With news, features, reviews, and guides under his belt, he has always liked Apple for its unique branding and distinctive style. Originally buying a Macbook for music and video production, he has since gone on to join the Apple ecosystem with as many devices as he can fit on his person. 

With a degree in Law and Media and being a little too young to move onto the next step of his law career, James started writing from his bedroom about games, movies, tech, and anything else he could think of. Within months, this turned into a fully-fledged career as a freelance journalist. Before joining iMore, he was a staff writer at Gfinity and saw himself published at sites like TechRadar, NME, and Eurogamer. 

As his extensive portfolio implies, James was predominantly a games journalist before joining iMore and brings with him a unique perspective on Apple itself. When not working, he is trying to catch up with the movies and albums of the year, as well as finally finishing the Yakuza series. If you like Midwest emo music or pretentious indie games that will make you cry, he’ll talk your ear off.