The new visionOS app delivers theatre-style viewing, support for 3D and 360-degree videos, and up to 8K playback on latest models, replacing the browser-based experience Vision Pro users relied on since launch.
Google has rolled out a dedicated YouTube app for the Apple Vision Pro, offering users a fully native experience on Apple’s visionOS platform for the first time.
Until now, Vision Pro owners accessed YouTube through a web browser, which limited functionality and lacked the seamless integration typically available on smartphones and tablets. The newly launched app eliminates those constraints, enabling direct access to YouTube’s full library within the headset environment.
Immersive viewing and full platform access
The native app introduces a theatre-style virtual screen designed to enhance immersion. During playback, the surrounding digital interface fades into the background, allowing viewers to focus solely on the content. The experience aims to replicate a cinematic, lean-back style of viewing within mixed reality.
Users can explore standard videos, Shorts and a specialised section featuring spatial formats such as 3D, 360-degree and VR180 content. Account features including subscriptions, playlists and watch history are fully integrated, ensuring continuity across devices.
The application requires visionOS 26.0 or later and has a download size of approximately 180MB.
Enhanced performance on newer hardware
Google stated that the app supports video playback of up to 8K resolution on newer Vision Pro models powered by Apple’s advanced M-series chips. The improved hardware is designed to handle high-resolution streaming while maintaining smooth performance.
The Vision Pro was first unveiled at the 2023 Worldwide Developers Conference, but YouTube did not introduce a native client at launch. Instead, users relied on browser-based access, which many considered less optimal for a device marketed as a premium media and computing platform.
The introduction of the native app brings YouTube in line with other streaming services that have already developed dedicated experiences for the headset. Apple’s mixed-reality device, priced at $3,499, continues to position itself as a high-end offering aimed at immersive entertainment and productivity.
With this launch, Vision Pro users now gain a more complete and integrated way to experience one of the world’s largest video platforms in spatial computing.
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