visionOS 27: the Thórsmörk environment brings Iceland and the Northern Lights to Vision Pro

The visionOS 27 developer beta includes a new Environment inspired by the Icelandic highlands: Thórsmörk offers a mountain ridge with day and night experiences, Northern Lights, and immersive ambient audio.

Thórsmörk: from an Icelandic ridge to Vision Pro

The name draws from the Norse god Thor: Thórsmörk is a mountain ridge in Iceland's interior, a remote location reachable only on foot or with off-road vehicles. With visionOS 27, it becomes an Environment available in Vision Pro, surfaced in the first developer beta by both MacRumors and 9to5Mac.

What users see

The Environment offers two time-of-day variants — day and night — both set around a lake surrounded by frozen landscapes. The nighttime version includes the Northern Lights. Ambient audio features wintry sound effects and running water. Like other visionOS Environments, Thórsmörk can be used while inside apps or as a backdrop when watching videos; in the latter case, the scene's colors are reflected in the snow and water to deepen immersion.

Compared to last year

The previous year, visionOS 26 introduced an interactive Jupiter Environment using NASA imagery. Thórsmörk continues the tradition of choosing visually and sonically striking settings, with a focus this year on Earth rather than space. It is a choice that speaks to a broader audience, less tied to astronomical exploration and more drawn to natural terrestrial landscapes.

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