The next iteration of macOS

macOS Sonoma is a free IT application developed by Apple and it is the next official version of its macOS operating system for laptop and desktop computers. Also known internally as macOS 14, it will start as a development beta sent out to specific users before it releases to the public sometime after.

Compared to its predecessors, macOS Monterey and macOS Ventura, the latest macOS Sonoma focuses more on specific areas of the OS, namely, improved gaming performance and allowing users to have more personalization options. It is expected to roll out sometime in September 2023.

Refinements and performance boosts

Apple hosts its Worldwide Developers Conference(WWDC) on an annual basis to showcase some of the new tech products and concepts it’s been working on, and the 2023 program is no different. It’s also when the next version of macOS that runs its laptops and desktops is announced, and that is macOS 14 known as macOS Sonoma. This iteration is more about refinements and improved usability features.

macOS Sonoma will come with a dedicated Game Mode to take advantage of the in-house Apple Silicon for increased CPU and GPU performance in games. That is joined by various improvements to videoconferencing with the Presenter Overlay features, which lets you present while keeping the focus of your webcam on you. Safari also received improved desktop notifications and will support Profiles for different usage scenarios.

Other notable features are carried over from its mobile counterpart, iOS 17, and they include better autocorrect when typing, faster auto-fill for documents, a new way to summon Siri, and a lot more small yet appreciable inclusions. As of this writing, it’s not yet available and there are some months left to wait. You can try to become a beta tester and test it out early if approved.

Good news for gamers

While it brings a lot of refinements to the core experience, macOS Sonoma marks the company’s renewed focus on gaming, which is great news for gamers. Given the powerful in-house chip that is Apple Silicon, it’s just as well that this feature has been added since it can make full use of its capabilities. For everyone else, this is another solid iteration of the operating system