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.
... continue reading