Apple’s Final Cut Pro now supports VR and HDR video editing

The new iMac Pro is available today, and right in time Apple has released a major update to one of its most important professional apps. Final Cut Pro 10.4 comes with support for 360 VR, HDR, and new color grading tools that may make it a more appealing option for videographers.

360-degree video can be edited in monoscopic and stereoscopic formats, depending on whether you’re intending it to be viewed on a flat screen or a VR headset. An update to companion app Motion allows you to insert graphics and text into the video, and you can view your project in real time through a connected VR headset.

Final Cut Pro’s HDR support lets you produce video for the standard HDR10 format as well as HLG, which is mostly intended for broadcast. You can hook up an HDR-capable display to view your results, or check the raw brightness values on a standard monitor.

Final Cut Pro 10.4 also includes extra features like the ability to import projects from the iOS version of iMovie, HEVC format export, and audio effects plug-ins from Logic Pro. Many of these features have already been available with competitors like Adobe Premiere Pro, but if you were ever thinking of switching to Final Cut Pro, there might be no better time to do it than alongside the purchase of a $5,000+ iMac.