Apple and Google are once again on a warpath. The new front: XR goggles!

It seemed that the platform war between Apple and Google had ended a long time ago. Both companies reconciled in the smartphone and television market, publishing their applications on competing systems. But peace did not last forever – in the world of XR (extended reality), shots have been fired again.

Today, Apple and Google are once again battling for dominance – this time in a new category of devices: mixed reality goggles. On one side, we have Apple Vision Pro with visionOS, and on the other, Samsung Galaxy XR running on Android XR, which is a new platform created by Google.

No applications, a new weapon in the fight for users

You put on Apple Vision Pro – forget about YouTube, Google Maps or Chrome.

You turn on Samsung Galaxy XR – you won't find Apple TV or Apple Music.

This is a deliberate strategy. Both Apple and Google block their applications on competing platforms, even though technically there are no obstacles to doing so. Both visionOS and Android XR are capable of running applications designed for iPad or Android.

In practice, Samsung users lose access to more than 300 3D films from Apple TV, including "immersive" materials created specifically for Vision Pro. Meanwhile, owners of Apple goggles won't be able to watch the library of 180° and 360° films from YouTube. One might try to "work around" the restrictions – for example, by installing apps from a file on Android XR or using a browser on Vision Pro – but such solutions are full of limitations and do not support 3D effects.

Disney+ with Apple, Netflix still hesitates

The choice of Disney+ was not surprising. The company has been closely collaborating with Apple for years, so a fully-fledged Disney+ app on visionOS even offers special "environments" – virtual spaces for watching films. There is no such app on Android XR and Meta Quest – and the mobile version of Disney+ has been blocked on the Google platform.

Netflix, on the other hand, has not taken a side. There was once an unofficial port developed by Meta itself for Meta Quest, but it has been removed. On Android XR, Netflix operates as a regular mobile app – in portrait mode. It does not work at all on Vision Pro.

HBO Max (Max) has prepared a VR version exclusively for visionOS, featuring virtual sets from “Harry Potter” and “Game of Thrones”. On Meta Quest, one has to use a browser, and on Android XR – the mobile app.

Meta on the sidelines

Meta, the creator of the Quest goggles and the Horizon OS system, is today the biggest loser in this war. Although Meta was the one that kickstarted the VR market, it currently has no influence on the development of the application ecosystem. Apple and Google are playing on their own fields – and Meta has to make do with a browser and attempts to attract partners to its ChooseTV platform.

War for the Future

Apple and Google know very well that XR could be the successor to smartphones – the next great medium for work, entertainment, and communication. That’s why no one wants to relinquish control over applications too soon. The only question is, how long this blockage will last. Will both companies once again bury the hatchet as they did with phones and televisions – or will this time the battle for the user in XR be prolonged and merciless?

Availability of the application on XR goggles

Apple and Google have parted ways again – this time in augmented reality. For users, this means limitations, for the industry – the beginning of a new platform cold war.