https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2024/01/netflix-wont-have-a-vision-pro-app-compromising-the-devices-appeal/

Skip to main content
 

  * Biz & IT
  * Tech
  * Science
  * Policy
  * Cars
  * Gaming & Culture
  * Store
  * Forums

Subscribe
 
[                    ]
Close
 

Navigate

  * Store
  * Subscribe
  * Videos
  * Features
  * Reviews

  * RSS Feeds
  * Mobile Site

  * About Ars
  * Staff Directory
  * Contact Us

  * Advertise with Ars
  * Reprints

Filter by topic

  * Biz & IT
  * Tech
  * Science
  * Policy
  * Cars
  * Gaming & Culture
  * Store
  * Forums

Settings

Front page layout


Grid

List

Site theme

light
dark
Sign in

App Support --

Netflix won't have a Vision Pro app, compromising the device's appeal

You'll be able to watch via the web browser, but that's far from
ideal.

Samuel Axon - Jan 18, 2024 8:56 pm UTC

Vision Pro will allow users to watch movies on a virtual TV set.
Enlarge / Vision Pro will allow users to watch movies on a virtual TV
set.
Apple

reader comments

74

In the leadup to Vision Pro preorders tomorrow, Apple has seemingly
been prioritizing the message that the device will be an ideal way to
watch movies and TV shows. In many ways, that might be true, but
there's one major caveat: Netflix.

In a statement reported by Bloomberg today, Netflix revealed that it
does not plan to offer an app for Vision Pro. Instead, users will
have to use a web-based interface to watch the streaming service.

Netflix compares the experience to the Mac, but there are a few
reasons this won't be an ideal experience for users. First, the iPad
and iPhone mobile apps support offline viewing of downloaded videos.
That's particularly handy for when you're flying, which is arguably
one of the best use cases for Vision Pro.

Unfortunately, Netflix doesn't support offline downloads on the web.
It also remains to be seen what resolution will be achievable--the
maximum resolution of a Netflix stream depends on the browser, with
most capping out at 720p. That wouldn't look so great on a 100-foot
virtual screen.

 

Further Reading

What to expect from the Apple Vision Pro in February
Granted, Netflix streams at up to 4K on Safari for macOS, but we
don't know if that will be the case for Safari on Vision Pro.

It will also make launching the app more complicated, and the
interface won't be as nice to use as a native app.

Advertisement

There are two ways Netflix could have supported visionOS more
directly. The company could have developed a full-fledged mixed
reality app like Disney+ did, with visionOS-specific features. Or it
could have at least adapted its iPad app to work well within
visionOS.

The latter, while not completely trivial, is relatively easy for a
company with Netflix's development resources, so it's hard not to see
this as a deliberate snub.

This isn't the first time Netflix has chosen not to play nice with a
new Apple initiative. Netflix is the most notable service missing
from Apple's useful TV app on Apple TV and iPhone, which aggregates
your viewing activity and makes recommendations that link out to
individual streaming apps.

Netflix and Apple now compete in the streaming space. In particular,
both have courted awards for their original films with limited
theatrical releases and aggressive campaigns. That could be a
motivator, but we can't know what Netflix's leadership is thinking
for sure.

Most other major streaming services, including Disney+, Peacock, Max,
and Amazon Prime Video, will have working visionOS apps when the
device launches in early February, making Netflix a notable outlier.

While not a deal-breaker for everyone, the omission cuts at the heart
of Apple's messaging around Vision Pro's value proposition; the steep
$3,499 price could be seen as worth the investment if you see the
device as replacing both an iPad and a high-end TV. But that pitch is
a little bit compromised if the experience on that high-end TV is
subpar for one of the most popular streaming services.

reader comments

74
 
Samuel Axon Samuel is a senior editor at Ars Technica. He primarily
covers software development, gaming, Apple, consumer technology, and
mixed reality. He has been writing about gaming and technology for 15
years, and is a Chicago-based game developer.
Advertisement

Channel Ars Technica

- Previous story Next story -

Related Stories

Today on Ars

  * Store
  * Subscribe
  * About Us
  * RSS Feeds
  * View Mobile Site

  * Contact Us
  * Staff
  * Advertise with us
  * Reprints

Newsletter Signup

Join the Ars Orbital Transmission mailing list to get weekly updates
delivered to your inbox. Sign me up -

     
 

CNMN Collection
WIRED Media Group
(c) 2024 Conde Nast. All rights reserved. Use of and/or registration on
any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement
(updated 1/1/20) and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement (updated 1/1
/20) and Ars Technica Addendum (effective 8/21/2018). Ars may earn
compensation on sales from links on this site. Read our affiliate
link policy.
Your California Privacy Rights | [privacyopt] Do Not Sell My Personal
Information
The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed,
transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written
permission of Conde Nast.
Ad Choices