WWDC 2023: macOS Sonoma announced, comes with a dedicated Game Mode, new slo-mo screensavers and more

After iOS17 and iPadOS 17, next came the turn for a new MacOS, with a new name. Apple has named it MacOS Sonoma. This latest iteration of Apple’s desktop operating system takes the Mac to new heights, blending unparalleled performance with a visually stunning and intuitive interface.

The forthcoming MacOS Sonoma update will bring a fresh collection of screen savers that bear resemblance to the ones found on the latest Apple TVs. Furthermore, the update will include compatibility with numerous new features that are set to debut in iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 as well. Apple notes that with MacOS Sonoma, Apple expands widgets from the Notification Center so they can now be pinned onto the desktop itself. In fact, the new MacOS can sync over widgets from iOS as well, and it does not need to install the widgets on the Mac itself. Once users open an app, the widget will fade into the background so that users can focus on the task at hand.

And to pile on the excitement, Apple noted in the conference that bringing Game Mode to macOS, which is expected to improve game performance on Mac devices. Something that will certainly appeal to gamers across the globe, the new Game Mode brings a far better optimized mode for faster response time, while simultaneously reducing the input latency with Xbox and PlayStation controllers.

Furthermore, Apple is not leaving developers empty-handed, and is bringing a new game exporting tool kit – the Game Porting Toolkit – so that they can bring games to Mac. Renowned videogame maker Hideo Kojima announced at the WWDC that he is bringing Death Stranding Director’s Cut to the Mac, which will be launched later this year and is available for pre-orders.. Kojima added that he is interested in bringing future titles to “Apple platforms.”

“We are so excited to see more developers bringing games to the Mac,” said Apple’s Jeremy Sandmel at the conference.

Coming to features other than widgets, screensavers, and gaming, macOS Sonoma is also getting more support for video conferencing. The new functionality is known as the presenter overlay, wherein your video is added to any content that you are presenting on platforms such as Zoom or Microsoft Teams, and other on-screen video effects. And if this is not enough, MacOS Sonoma also gets an all-new Safari with a new version of WebKit and an enhanced Private Browsing functionality. Apple is adding Profiles to Safari, wherein users can sort their work and online experience in a better and cleaner manner – they can separate cookies, tab groups, favorites, search history and more by work, school or personal, Apple notes.