Apple sowed the first beta of macOS Ventura to developers yesterday to test them, and early users are beginning to notice smaller changes to the update. We’ve put together some of the most notable details of macOS Ventura that we’ve discovered below.
“About this Mac” redesigned
Apple has simplified the About this Mac window to macOS Ventura. The window still shows the type of processor on a Mac, the amount of memory, the serial number, and the version of macOS installed, but all other system information has been migrated to the system, which is a redesigned and renamed version of the old System Preferences application. .
Clicking the “More info” button at the bottom of About this Mac opens the General menu of System Settings, which contains a “System Report” button that leads to a more advanced overview of the hardware. , software, networking, and more from a Mac. .
Game controller menu
Speaking of system settings, there is a new game driver menu in the app for managing game drivers connected to a Mac. The menu allows macOS Ventura users to assign the buttons and thumbs of a driver to a Mac keyboard, adjust haptic feedback levels, create profiles with presets for multiple drivers, and more.
macOS Ventura includes recently added support for some of the most popular racing, pedal, and shift steering wheels for use in racing games on the Mac, including Logitech’s G920 and G29 racing steering wheels, according to the developer website Apple. Apple also says that macOS Ventura supports many additional Bluetooth and USB game controllers, and users find that this includes the Joy-Cons and Nintendo Switch Pro driver.
Background sounds
macOS Ventura brings pre-installed background sounds to your Mac. Apple says this feature allows soothing sounds, such as ocean or rain, to mask unwanted ambient noise and help minimize distractions. The background sound feature was first launched on the iPhone and iPad with the release of iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 last year.
Background sounds on your Mac can be turned on in the System Settings app under Accessibility> Audio. In this menu, you can choose which background sound to play, adjust the volume of the background sound separately from the system volume, and optionally turn off background sounds when your Mac is asleep or in screen saver mode.
Other features and details
- macOS Ventura adds clock and time apps to the Mac.
- In the Photos app, recently hidden and deleted albums are locked by default and can be unlocked with your Mac or Touch ID password.
- Playlists have improved sorting options in the Music app.
- Siri has received a slight redesign focused on simplicity and “more focused” results.
macOS Ventura will be released to all users in the fall, probably around October. Apple said a public beta will be available starting in July.
Image sources: MacRumors Forums and Reddit