There will be no YouTube and Spotify apps on the Apple Vision Pro
Apple Vision Pro users will have to make do without apps for YouTube and Spotify. The two streaming platforms have no plans to release a new app or activate the existing iPad apps for the VR/AR headset. Instead, users will have to access the content on the Vision Pro through the web browser. Netflix will also reportedly not provide an app for the Vision Pro. However, other entertainment apps such as Disney+, Max, Peacock, ESPN, and Amazon Prime Video will be available on the device.
VR Studio WIMO Games Reportedly Closed Down
WIMO Games, which developed titles like Battle Bow and most recently Micro Machines: Mini Challenge Mayhem, has ceased operations, according to UploadVR. Official confirmation is still pending. The Texas studio is said to have employed 35 people.
After First Contact Entertainment and Archiact, WIMO Games is the third VR studio to close or lay off many employees since December 2023.
Magic Leap CEO Talks About Product Roadmap in New Interview
Magic Leap's new CEO Ross Rosenberg spoke with Venturebeat about the company's recent $590 million investment from Saudi Arabia and how the company's AR headset will differentiate itself from products like the Apple Vision Pro. Speaking about Magic Leap's product roadmap, Rosenberg said:
"We have a road map based on expanding the technology we have. Expanding the field of view, expanding the immersiveness, making the device more mobile in some ways, less tethered. All of those things are on our road map. As you extend beyond that time period, you think about ways to further reduce the size and weight of the device. Eventually you get to something that feels more like glasses. We think about all those things as we design our road map."
CTO Daniel Diez said that Magic Leap currently has more than 1,000 employees and that the company is "definitely growing the team as necessary".
Netflix Snubs Apple: No "Spatial App" for Vision Pro
Netflix will not be developing a dedicated app for the Apple Vision Pro, nor will it support the existing iPad app. Users of the headset will have to watch Netflix in the browser instead. This was reported by Mark Gurman of Bloomberg.
Media consumption is one of Apple's biggest selling points for the Vision Pro. Netflix may want to wait and see if Vision Pro is a success before supporting the new platform.
What goes for Apple also goes for its competitor Meta: Although Netflix offers a VR app for Meta Quest, it has not been maintained or updated in years.
Expert Kuo says launch of Apple Vision Pro outside the U.S. likely before June
Analyst and Apple expert Ming-Chi Kuo believes the Vision Pro could be released outside the U.S. before the next WWDC. Apple's developer conference is always held in June. According to Kuo, the reasons for the US exclusive launch are the limited initial supply of Vision Pro, the desire to ensure a smooth sales process in the US first, and the need to adapt the algorithms to the regulations of other countries. Kuo also believes a wider launch before WWDC 2024 would make sense to promote the global development of the visionOS ecosystem. Apple has not yet announced any details on international availability.
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