YouTube launches dedicated app for Apple Vision Pro
YouTube has launched a dedicated app for Apple Vision Pro two years after the headset’s debut. Initially, the company directed users to access content through Safari via a web-based method, prompting the native app’s development now.
Apple Vision Pro launched without a YouTube native application. YouTube instead relied on its website accessible through the Safari browser on visionOS. This web approach excluded key functionalities available in native apps on other platforms. Users encountered restrictions, particularly the absence of offline downloads. Without this feature, watching videos during travel or in areas without internet connectivity proved impractical.
Third-party developers attempted to address the gap. Applications like Juno emerged on the visionOS App Store, offering alternative ways to access YouTube content on the headset. YouTube removed these options after determining they violated its Terms of Service. The enforcement ensured compliance with official guidelines for content access.
The new dedicated app delivers standard YouTube videos alongside YouTube Shorts. Content displays on a theater-sized virtual screen within a fully immersive environment. This setup positions videos as if projected in a large personal cinema, enhancing the viewing scale on the spatial computing device.
A dedicated Spatial tab within the app enables discovery of spatial video content. Users access formats such as 3D, VR180, and 360-degree videos. These provide multidimensional viewing experiences tailored to Apple Vision Pro’s capabilities, allowing interaction beyond traditional flat video playback.
Apple Vision Pro models equipped with the M5 chip receive support for 8K video playback through the app. This resolution delivers high-definition clarity on the headset’s displays, accommodating premium content sources.
Interaction occurs via visionOS gesture controls. Users resize video windows with hand movements and scrub through timelines by pinching and dragging. These intuitive controls integrate seamlessly with the headset’s input methods.
Other streaming services provided native visionOS apps at Apple Vision Pro’s launch. These include Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, Paramount, and Peacock. YouTube’s delay followed observation of the headset’s market performance before committing to app development.