Netflix won't launch an app for the Apple Vision Pro, at least right now
Subscribers will have to watch its shows and movies on a browser within the device.
When Apple announced the Vision Pro headset, it namedropped a number of streaming services with dedicated apps for the device, including Disney+, Max, Amazon Prime Video and Paramount+. It put a lot of focus on the headset's entertainment features and is most likely hoping that they could help convince tentative buyers to take the plunge. But one name was clearly missing from the list of streaming apps arriving on the platform, and it's the biggest one of them all: Netflix. Now, Bloomberg is reporting that Netflix currently has no plans to release a special application for the Vision Pro.
"Our members will be able to enjoy Netflix on the web browser on the Vision Pro, similar to how our members can enjoy Netflix on Macs," the company told Bloomberg's Mark Gurman in a statement. As Gurman notes, Vision Pro will be able to run iPad apps on the headset's visionOS in addition to applications especially designed for the platform. That means Netflix isn't even modifying its iPad app to run on the Vision Pro, and users will not be able to enjoy the features they use on mobile devices, such as offline viewing.
In comparison, Disney+ has gone all in and is even giving users access to immersive environments, including one based on the Avengers Tower, that can serve as backdrops for its shows. Based on another Bloomberg report from 2023, Netflix really didn't have a plan to develop an application for the headset. It's unclear why that's the case, but the company may have chosen to wait and see whether the Vision Pro could achieve a certain level of popularity before dedicating resources towards developing an app for for it. The device could have a dedicated Netflix application in the future if that's the case, but early adopters would have to make do with watching the service's shows on a browser.
