My former colleague Parker Ortolani has been experimenting with “vibe coding” for months, building native and web apps by steering large language models with carefully crafted prompts. GPT-4o and Claude helped him get functional prototypes running, but GPT-5 is the first model that delivers the complete experience he’s been waiting for. Here’s how GPT-5 improves on earlier models:
What makes GPT-5 better for vibe coding
Parker says it plainly in his blog post:
“The good news is that GPT-5 is simply amazing. Not only does it design beautiful user interfaces on its own without even needing guidance, it has also been infinitely more reliable. […] I am genuinely stunned at the efficiency with which I can now vibe code iOS and macOS apps.”
Expanding on that, GPT-5’s biggest leap for vibe coding is in design quality and reliability. Earlier models like GPT-4o and Claude could produce functional app skeletons, but the user experience often lacked polish and design-first thinking. They needed heavy prompting to look good, and builds frequently broke with bugs introduced by the model itself.
By contrast, GPT-5 creates attractive, coherent interfaces without explicit design guidance and, in Parker’s experience, has not caused a single build error in Xcode so far.
It is also quicker and more capable when solving complex problems. Where GPT-4o might require multiple prompts to troubleshoot technical issues, GPT-5 can fix them almost instantly, such as enabling local AI models to parse an open webpage in his macOS browser project.
GPT-5 is also more dependable and more versatile. It’s capable of producing complete and varied projects from a single prompt, including native apps, web simulations, games, and more.
My own GPT-5 coding experience
As for me, GPT-5 with ChatGPT talking directly to Xcode has been just as transformative. For the first time, I’m building more than a basic sticker pack. I call my current project LaunchBay.
It’s a personal replacement for Apple’s Launchpad now that the new Spotlight is taking over in macOS Tahoe. It’s not for release (yet at least), but it’s been awesome starting with zero coding experience, getting a functional build running, and tweaking it entirely through plain-English instructions.
Looking ahead, 9to5Mac first reported that ChatGPT integration with Siri and Apple Intelligence will upgrade from GPT-4o to GPT-5 in iOS 26.
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