YouTube’s Vision Pro App Is Here: Watch in a New Dimension
▼ Summary
– YouTube has released a dedicated app for the Apple Vision Pro after two years of hesitation, moving away from its previous web-only approach.
– The new app allows users to watch standard videos and Shorts on a virtual theater screen and includes a Spatial tab for discovering 3D and VR content.
– Key features include gesture controls for interaction and support for 8K playback on the latest M5 chip models.
– The app’s release is notable as it follows a period of diminished hype and reportedly weak sales for the Apple Vision Pro headset.
– The app is now available in the visionOS App Store and is compatible with both M2 and M5 chip Apple Vision Pro models.
The wait is over for Apple Vision Pro users eager for a seamless YouTube experience. YouTube has officially launched its dedicated app for the Apple Vision Pro, moving beyond the previous reliance on a web browser. For the first two years following the headset’s debut, viewers were directed to use Safari, which lacked essential features like offline downloads for travel or areas without internet. This gap led to the brief emergence of third-party apps like Juno, though they were ultimately removed for violating YouTube’s terms. Now, the native app delivers a full-featured platform, enabling users to watch standard videos and YouTube Shorts on a massive virtual screen within an immersive environment.
A key highlight of the new application is the Spatial tab, designed for discovering content in formats like 3D, VR180, and 360-degree videos. For owners of the latest Vision Pro models equipped with the M5 chip, the app unlocks support for 8K video playback, offering a significant leap in visual fidelity. Interaction is intuitive, leveraging the headset’s gesture controls to resize windows or scrub through a video timeline without needing a physical remote.
The timing of this release raises interesting questions about the platform’s strategy. YouTube initially held back from developing a visionOS app, perhaps choosing to observe the headset’s market adoption first. This contrasted with other major streaming services like Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, Paramount, and Peacock, which offered native apps from the outset. The decision to launch now coincides with reports that the initial excitement around the Apple Vision Pro has cooled considerably. Recent estimates suggest a notable slowdown, with only around 45,000 new units shipped in the fourth quarter of 2025. Reports indicate production was paused due to softening demand, leading to scaled-back marketing.
Regardless of the headset’s current sales trajectory, the new YouTube app is available for download today from the visionOS App Store. It supports both the original M2 and the newer M5 chip models, bringing a long-awaited, feature-complete viewing experience to the spatial computing platform.
(Source: TechCrunch)
