YouTube was one of the most popular apps that wasn’t available on Vision Pro when it launched. But will it support its large library of spatial videos? But will it support its large existing library of spatial videos?
Not only did YouTube not have a Vision Pro app ready for launch day, the company actually went out of its way to opt-out of having its existing iPad or iPhone apps run on the device.
But according to a statement to The Verge, the company confirmed that a native Vision Pro YouTube app is “on [the] roadmap].”
While you can already watch YouTube videos on Vision Pro through the browser, the experience isn’t quite as smooth as a native app would be. And the browser version doesn’t support any of YouTube’s existing spatial video content.
YouTube was an early adopter of spatial videos (supporting 3D, 180, and 360) and has amassed quite the library of footage over the years. You can currently watch spatial videos with a headset such as Quest using the native YouTubeVR application that’s been available on the platform since 2019. It’s unclear. It’s not clear.
The verge
asked YouTube directly this question but hasn’t received an answerAs to Apple? They threw some serious shade on YouTube’s spatial video library:
“much of
was created for devices that do not deliver a high-quality spatial experience. In some cases, the content can also cause motion discomfort. We’ve focused our efforts on delivering the best spatial media experience possible including spatial photos and videos, Apple Immersive Video, and 3D movies available on Apple TV,” an Apple spokesperson told [spatial video content on YouTube]The Verge.That point about ‘motion discomfort’ could even mean that Apple wouldn’t allow YouTube to put its spatial videos on Vision Pro. However, we’re unsure at this point if Apple has any explicit comfort requirements that developers must follow for app approval.
While we wait for YouTube to make its own native app for Vision Pro, a third-party developer has already sprung into action. The app
is already available for the headset, but at a $5 cost. It has the beginnings to a native YouTube experience. Unfortunately, it does not support YouTube’s spatial video.Juno for YouTube