The Apple Vision Pro App Store launched without a few key apps, such as Netflix, YouTube, and Spotify. A YouTube app could be coming in the future, though, according to a statement the company gave to The Verge.
YouTube says that it is "excited" by the Vision Pro launch and that an app is on the company's roadmap, but no timing was provided. YouTube's full statement:
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 and parent company Google have sometimes taken years to adopt new Apple features, so it is entirely unclear when we might actually see a YouTube app for the device. In the meantime, Apollo developer Christian Selig has created an app called "Juno" for watching YouTube on the Vision Pro. Alternatively, YouTube videos can be watched from the Safari browser.
Neither Juno nor YouTube on the web work allow Vision Pro owners to watch YouTube's collection of 360 and 3D videos. An Apple spokesperson told The Verge that this is because the content "was created for devices that do not deliver a high-quality spatial experience."
In some cases, this content could also cause motion discomfort. 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.
There is no word on whether YouTube's eventual app will work with its 3D content.
Apple did say that it is working on supporting WebXR content which could eventually allow for YouTube VR videos to be viewable on the web using Safari, but it is still a new standard. WebXR doesn't yet "take full advantage of the power, performance and interaction capabilities of Apple Vision Pro and visionOS," but Apple is contributing to W3C web standards including WebXR.
