Google Takes a U-Turn, YouTube App for Vision Pro is on the Roadmap

Apple has already launched over 600 dedicated apps for Vision Pro, but it doesn’t include some key apps like YouTube, Netflix, and Spotify. In January, YouTube announced that it won’t develop any native apps for Apple’s Spatial Computer. Also, it won’t allow its iPad apps to run on visionOS.

Interestingly, YouTube now walked back its stance about not having native support for visionOS. In a statement given to The Verge, YouTube says it is excited by the Apple Vision Pro launch and a dedicated visionOS app ‘is on the roadmap’. However, it didn’t mention any specific timeline.

We’re excited to see Vision Pro launch and we’re supporting it by ensuring YouTube users have a great experience in Safari. We do not have any specific plans to share at this time, but can confirm that a Vision Pro app is on our roadmap.“- YouTube spokesperson

We all know that YouTube and parent company Google do not quickly adopt the new Apple features. In fact, they have sometimes taken years to embrace the changes. So, it isn’t clear and we can’t even do a guesswork on when Google will release a YouTube app for Vision Pro. It’s worth knowing that Apollo developer Christian Selig has already launched an app called “Juno” for watching YouTube on the Vision Pro. Besides, you can also watch YouTube videos using the Safari browser.

That said, neither Juno nor YouTube on the web supports the large collection of 360 and 3D YouTube videos. Allegedly, this 360 and VR content may never work on Vision Pro because they aren’t good enough.

An Apple spokesperson Jackie Roy told The Verge that this is because the content isn’t of high quality and could cause motion discomfort. The content was created for devices that do not deliver a high-quality spatial experience.

“We’ve focused our efforts on delivering the best spatial media experience possible including spatial photos and videos, Apple Immersive Video, and 3D movies available on Apple TV“- Apple spokesperson

Right now, it isn’t clear if the upcoming YouTube app for Vision Pro will work with its 3D content.

Apple spokesperson further added that they are working on supporting WebXR content which could eventually allow Vision Pro users to watch YouTube VR videos on Safari. However, it is still a new standard and will take some time. WebXR doesn’t yet “take full advantage of the power, performance and interaction capabilities of ‌Apple Vision Pro‌ and visionOS,” but Apple has been actively contributing to W3C web standards including WebXR.

Well, every new platform has some new challenges. The good news is that a dedicated YouTube app for Vision Pro is on its way. The timeline isn’t known at the moment, but we hope to see it super soon.