If you’ve got the cash for Apple’s soon-to-arrive Vision Pro, you’ll have your pick of streaming services once you strap on the immersive headset, including native apps for the biggest players in streaming—well, save for one major exception.
Apple is touting the Vision Pro’s entertainment abilities in the runup to the AR headset’s February 2 launch date, from the ability to stream 3D movies such as Avatar: The Way of Water and Dune to an exclusive “glimpse” into an Alicia Keys rehearsal session via the Apple TV app. Users can also expect Dolby Atmos and lossless audio quality.
More importantly, Apple has ticked off all the major streaming services that will have native apps ready for Vision Pro at launch, and the list includes most of the usual suspects, with one unsurprising holdout.
- Disney+
- Max
- Discovery+
- Amazon Prime Video
- Paramount+
- Peacock
- ESPN
- MLB
- PGA Tour
- Pluto TV
- Tubi
- Fubo
- Crunchyroll
- Red Bull TV
- IMAX
- TikTok
- MUBI
That list covers most of the big players in the streaming world, including Disney+ (which will include Hulu content for “eligible Disney Bundle subscribers,” Apple notes), Max, Amazon Prime Video, Paramount+, and Peacock.
Who’s missing? You guessed it: Netflix.
It’s not terribly surprising that Netflix is sitting out the Vision Pro launch when it comes to a visionOS version of its streaming app—although, as The Verge notes, the standard Netflix app will work on the Vision Pro. Update (1/18/2024): A subsequent story from Bloomberg says you’ll need to stream Netflix on the Vision Pro’s web browser.
Netflix has had a prickly relationship with Apple, specifically when it comes to the Apple TV app. While Netflix shows have finally begun appearing in Apple TV’s universal search, the results are spotty. Netflix “originals” like Stranger Things will appear, but licensed shows like Suits won’t.
Meanwhile, your recently watched Netflix videos still won’t show up in Apple TV’s Up Next row.
Other streaming services, including Amazon Prime Video, Max, Paramount+, and Peacock, mostly play nice with the Apple TV app.
Of course, it’s certainly possible that a visionOS version of Netflix will arrive sooner or later—and besides, with only 60,000 to 80,000 units of the $3,500 headset said to be shipping on launch day, it’s not like all that many streamers will be missing out.
It’s also not clear what kind of experiences Apple Vision Pro users can expect for native visionOS streaming apps.
During its big Vision Pro unveiling last summer, Apple dazzled us with demos of a personal theater that lets you watch movies from any seat you choose, complete with a virtual screen that’s up to 100 feet wide.
For its part, Disney is promising four “iconic” viewing environments, including the El Capitan Theater in Hollywood, the Scare Floor from Pixar’s Monsters Inc, Marvel’s Avengers Tower, and even Luke Skywalker’s landspeeder.
Apple also clarified that users will be able to both stream and download videos from visionOS streaming apps, meaning you’ll be able to stream on your Apple Vision Pro from 30,000 feet.
Updated shortly after publication with a correction: The Apple Vision Pro reveal was last summer, not last fall.
Author: Ben Patterson, Senior Writer
Ben has been writing about technology and consumer electronics for more than 20 years. A PCWorld contributor since 2014, Ben joined TechHive in 2019, where he covers smart speakers, soundbars, and other smart and home-theater devices. You can follow Ben on Twitter.