Some flagship applications will not be available on the Vision Pro at launch. While Disney works hand in hand with Apple to offer immersive experiences, YouTube, Netflix and Spotify have decided to avoid the mixed reality headset.
No Netflix app for the Vision Pro
In a report published this Wednesday, January 17, 2024, Mark Gurman from Bloomberg first mentions the case of Netflix. A representative of the number 1 SVOD service in the world explained to the journalist that no visionOS application is under development.
Netflix also does not intend to convert its iPad application to the Vision Pro, although Apple offers this service to developers. The only solution for watching Netflix will therefore remain the Safari web browser. However, the latter removes a significant advantage: downloading content for offline viewing.
No reason has yet been given by Netflix for this decision. We can still suspect that the platform is waiting to see if Vision Pro sales are sufficient before launching its teams into the development of a VR application.
Moreover, the streaming service had already tried this exercise with the Meta Quest. The app is still available, but hasn’t been updated in quite a while. Once again, it is unclear why Netflix is now distancing itself from the world of virtual and augmented reality.
No Spotify or YouTube
More bad news has fallen for Apple’s mixed reality headset. Another report from Mark Gurman, this time dated January 18, reveals that Spotify does not plan to launch an application for the Vision Pro. A source close to the subject added to the analyst that the music streaming service “does not plan to allow its iPad app to run on the device”.
You will therefore have to go through the Safari box to enjoy your favorite music and podcasts. The Verge still brings a little nuance to all this by sharing a statement from Gray Munford, spokesperson for Spotify.
Gray Munford indicates to The Verge that the company cannot confirm this information and that Spotify has “made no announcement regarding plans for the Vision Pro”.
For YouTube, Google was more than direct. Near The Vergeplatform spokesperson Jessica Gibby declared: “YouTube users will be able to use YouTube in Safari on the Vision Pro”. Once again, no native application or port of the iPad application is planned.
But many other services
For information, a press release named “Apple previews new entertainment experiences launching with Apple Vision Pro” was released on Tuesday, January 16 by Apple. Inside, we learn that more than 150 3D films were going to be available at the launch of the mixed reality headset in the United States on February 2, 2024… but not only that!
The Apple firm also mentioned all the video streaming services that will be offered: “Users will also be able to download and stream TV shows, movies, sports and more through apps from major streaming services including Disney+, ESPN, NBA, MLB, PGA Tour, Max, Discovery+, Amazon Prime Video, Paramount+, Peacock, Pluto TV, Tubi, Fubo, Crunchyroll, Red Bull TV, IMAX, TikTok and MUBI”.
For other players in the field who did not want to embark on the adventure, Apple reassures by announcing: “Users can also watch popular videos online and streaming using Safari and other browsers”.