Apple Details Entertainment Content Launching on its Vision Pro Headset

Apple has revealed today the various entertainment experiences consumers can expect on its Vision Pro headset, which will launch in the US on February 2. The company has teamed up with various partners to have an extensive list of streaming and sports apps at launch, and some platforms will also offer 3D versions of movies.

The list of streaming services to be available on the Vision includes Disney+, ESPN, NBA, MLB, PGA Tour, Max, Discovery+, Amazon Prime Video, Paramount+, Peacock, Pluto TV, Tubi, Fubo, Crunchyroll, Red Bull TV, IMAX, TikTok, MUBI. Netflix is strangely absent, but the service will still be available from the web.

Each of these streaming services will also be able to offer a unique viewing experience. As an example, the Disney+ app on the Vision Pro will let users watch movies in four different environments, including a virtual theater inspired by the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, or the cockpit of Luke Skywalker’s landspeeder from the Star Wars movies.

“Apple Vision Pro is the ultimate entertainment device,” said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “Users can turn any place into the best seat in the house, enjoy personal concerts and adventures with Apple Immersive Video, interact with lifelike prehistoric creatures in Encounter Dinosaurs, and even land on the surface of the moon using Environments. It’s unlike anything users have ever seen before and we can’t wait for them to experience it for themselves.”

Over 150 3D movies will also be available at launch, including Avatar: The Way of Water, Dune, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, and The Super Mario Bros. Movie. These movies will be available on streaming apps, and Apple will also offer some of them for rent or purchase on its Apple TV app.

Both 2D and 3D movies can be watched on the Vision with personalized spatial audio, though you’ll need an iPhone with a TrueDepth camera to create your personal profile. The headset supports an “audio ray tracing” technology that can optimize sound output after analyzing a user’s surroundings.

The external battery of the Apple Vision Pro will offer up to two hours of general use, and up to 2.5 hours for video playback. However, Apple said that users will be able to use the headset all day by just plugging the battery into a power source.

Apple will open pre-orders for its $3,499 Vision Pro headset on Friday, January 19. Be aware that the pre-order process will require an iPhone or iPad with Face ID, as you’ll need to provide a scan of your face to determine the right size for the Light Seal and head bands.