Katarzyna Petru
After almost two years since the release of Apple Vision Pro, users have finally received a native YouTube application. Until now, content from the platform could be viewed only through the Safari browser, which meant limited support for 3D materials or 360-degree video. Now the situation is changing, and Vision Pro gains full support for immersive formats known from YouTube. This is an important step, as such content best showcases the capabilities of mixed reality devices. Interestingly, an unofficial app called Juno had previously appeared but quickly vanished from the App Store. Now Google is officially entering the platform.
Vision Pro catches up
Until now, the Apple headset did not offer full support for spatial video on YouTube, whereas competing devices, such as the Galaxy XR from Samsung, placed greater emphasis on such features. The new application allows users to harness the potential of 180 and 360-degree materials as well as 3D content in a more natural way. This makes Vision Pro more appealing to creators and consumers of immersive films.
Will Google go further?
The emergence of YouTube could be a signal for broader collaboration between Apple and Google. In the background remains the partnership related to the Gemini models, which could power AI features in the Apple ecosystem. A natural next step would be an immersive version of Google Maps, similar to that known from Samsung's XR devices. If YouTube proves to be a success, other Google services may reach Vision Pro sooner than we expect.
The native YouTube application on Vision Pro is an important addition to Apple's headset offering. Users can finally take full advantage of 3D video and 360-degree content without compromise. Now the question is whether this is a one-off move or the start of a greater presence for Google applications in Apple's mixed reality world.
source: cnet.com
