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

It seemed that the platform war between Apple and Google had ended long ago. Both companies had made peace in the smartphone and television markets by releasing their apps on competing systems. But the peace didn’t 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 Apps, 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 apps on competing platforms, even though there are no technical barriers to doing so. Both visionOS and Android XR can run apps made for iPad or Android.

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

Disney+ with Apple, Netflix still hesitates

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

Netflix, on the other hand, has not taken a stand. There was once an unofficial port created by Meta itself that worked on Meta Quest, but it has been removed. On Android XR, Netflix operates in the form of a standard 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, you have to use a web browser, and on Android XR – the mobile app.

Meta on the Sidelines

Meta, the creator of Quest goggles and the Horizon OS system, is today the biggest loser in this war. Even though it was Meta that kickstarted the VR market, currently it has no influence on the development of the application ecosystem. Apple and Google are playing in their own arenas – and Meta must settle for the browser and attempts to attract partners to its ChooseTV platform.

War for the Future

Apple and Google know 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 give up control over applications too soon. The only question is, how long this blockade will last. Will both companies, like in the case of phones and televisions, bury the hatchet again – or will this time the battle for the user in XR be prolonged and merciless?

Availability of the app on XR goggles

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