Apple’s Vision Pro headset witnessed strong pre-order sales, with analyst Ming-Chi Kuo estimating between 160,000 and 180,000 units. But potential buyers hoping to watch Netflix on their new devices will be disappointed for now.
Netflix co-CEO Greg Peters confirmed in an interview with Stratechery that the streaming giant has no plans to create a dedicated Netflix app for Vision Pro. According to Peters, the reason for this is purely practical; The headset’s current user base is not large enough to provide the resources needed to develop the app.
“We have to be careful to make sure we don’t invest in places that are not really profitable, and I would say we’ll see how things go with Vision Pro,” Peters responded. “Of course, we are still in talks with Apple to resolve this, but right now the device is so small that it is not of interest to most of our members.”
This doesn’t mean Netflix will give up on Vision Pro entirely. Peters left the door open for a future implementation, depending on how the VR market evolves.
Netflix isn’t the only one deciding to take part in the first round of its own Vision Pro programs. YouTube and Spotify have also chosen not to develop dedicated apps, but both can be accessed via the headset’s web browser.
Meanwhile, Apple’s own streaming service Apple TV+ is embracing the VR scene with the launch of “Apple Immersive Video”, a format that offers 180° 3D video and Spatial Audio at 8K resolution.
While Netflix has experience with VR, launching a VR program in 2015 and even creating 360 video based on Stranger Things, it doesn’t look like Vision Pro will be adding its platform to its lineup any time soon. But the possibility of a future implementation is still on the table.