Facepalm: Even the most ardent Apple fan will admit that the upcoming $3,500 Vision Pro mixed reality headset looks like a hard sell. But the company has hailed it as the ultimate entertainment device, even though it won't have a dedicated Netflix app (or YouTube app!).
The Vision Pro mixed reality headset, which Apple insists on calling a spatial computer, arrives in just a few weeks. Its enormous price tag has already raised plenty of questions about who would spend so much on something without a killer app and a battery rated for only 2 - 2.5 hours, meaning you wouldn't be able to watch all of Oppenheimer in one sitting.
Apple's senior vice president Greg Joswiak previously called the Vision Pro the "ultimate entertainment device," suggesting that the most popular streamer of them all, Netflix, will have its own app. However, Bloomberg writes that the streaming giant isn't planning on launching one for the Vision Pro. Netflix isn't even supporting its current iPad app on Apple's headset.
Netflix stands alone in its decision not to make a dedicated Vision Pro app. Disney Plus, Max, Amazon Prime Video, and Paramount Plus will all have their own.
Update: According to Bloomberg, both YouTube and Spotify have decided not to release dedicated apps for the Vision Pro headset. YouTube confirmed it isn't creating a dedicated app for the Vision Pro and won't allow the current iPad app to pull the trick either. Similarly, Spotify isn't developing a Vision Pro app and won't make its iPad app available on the Vision Pro App Store. Users will be able to access YouTube and Spotify via Safari, similar to Netflix.
Vision Pro users will be able to watch Netflix using the headset, but it can only be done via the web. That means the features Apple has been pushing, such as immersive backdrops for videos, won't be available. Users won't be able to download content for offline viewing, either, and the resolution might be limited.
Netflix did develop a dedicated app for Meta's Quest headsets, though its outdated interface hasn't been updated in years
Netflix previously said that its iPad app would work with the Vision Pro, but it seems to have gone back on that promise. The company hasn't said why it isn't supporting Apple's headset, but the decision will no doubt disappoint buyers looking forward to watching Netflix originals in an immersive setting.
Earlier this week, it was revealed that Apple will try to convince people to purchase a Vision Pro by using free in-store demos that last up to 25 minutes.