WWDC23: MacOS 14 Sonoma Preview! Comes with Widgets, Game Mode, and Smart Video Conferencing


Another mundane release of MacOS enhanced with the power of Apple’s brilliant marketing.

MacOS 14, internally named Sonoma, after the hills and winery found in California, has been announced. It comes with improved stability, larger customizations including desktop widgets (Windows had it since Vista), and a new Game Mode, among others.

DESKTOP WIDGETS:

The newest feature of the operating system is the ability to add widgets. So innovative, and possibly, also futuristic! You can also transfer your iPhone widgets to your Mac so long they are connected to the same Wi-Fi network.

SMART VIDEO CONFERENCING:

MacOS Sonoma brings new and improved features to FaceTime, including the new Presenter Overlay which allows users to overlay content onto your video call while also keeping your face in the same shot. Now this feels a lot closer to real conferencing. Other similar features among competitors include Google Meet’s backdrops.

This new feature also boasts new AR effects and Video Reactions first introduced with the Vision Pro. All of these features work on any video conferencing app.

SLOW-MOTION SCREEN SAVERS:

MacOS Sonoma includes new stock screen savers with a slow-motion view of Sonoma Hills, California where the OS was named after. There are other beautiful skylines included too such as the busy cityscapes of Hong Kong, and the Sandstone Buttes of Arizona.

In addition, you can enhance this experience by switching between Landscape, Underwater, Earth, or Cityscape themes.

GAME MODE:

One of the biggest additions to MacOS Sonoma is Game Mode. It works similarly to many game boosters found on smartphones. This feature allows games to fully take advantage of Apple’s new silicon CPUs and GPUs for improved performance. Demoed here is Hideo Kojima’s Death Stranding, Director’s Cut. MacOS’ new porting kit makes it more convenient for developers to bring their games to Mac.

OTHER FEATURES:

  • You can now activate Siri by just saying “Siri”, removing the “Hey” part from the phrase
  • Web Apps are now available in the Dock.
  • In Safari, you can now do screen sharing much faster with a click of a button.
  • Users can now create a group to share their passwords, assuming users trust whoever is in that group. Sharing is processed through the iCloud Keychain so passwords are secured using end-to-end encryption.
  • PDFs and Documents now scan in full width and using intelligent AI features, you can now automatically fill them
  • Keyboard has an improved AI-based autocorrect and makes mistaken words easier to fix.

Source: Apple Newsroom