Apple Vision Pro owners finally get the official YouTube app, more than two years after the headset first launched. The native app brings YouTube into visionOS with far better performance and features than using the website in a browser.
What’s New With the Native YouTube App
The stand-alone YouTube app for Apple Vision Pro lets users watch videos in a custom experience built for spatial computing. You can sign in, browse subscriptions, open playlists, and view your watch history just like on phones or laptops.
Every type of YouTube video works in the app, including standard clips, Shorts, and immersive content like 180° and 360° videos.
On newer Vision Pro units powered by Apple’s M5 chip, the app supports 8K playback, giving super high resolution on bigger virtual screens. Older M2-powered Vision Pro headsets play back up to 4K.
How the Vision Pro Experience Feels
With this native app, YouTube doesn’t just run in a flat window on Vision Pro. YouTube content is shown inside immersive environments built for visionOS, meaning you get large virtual screens and a more engaging feel as you browse.
That said, some reviewers point out that for regular 2D video, watching through Safari or a third-party app still feels smoother than the basic native YouTube version. But for immersive 360° and VR180 uploads, the new app really shines.
What This Means for Vision Pro
The Vision Pro platform launched without apps like YouTube, Spotify, or Netflix, forcing users to rely on web versions. Getting an official YouTube app now fills a big gap in the headset’s media lineup.
Before the official launch, third-party options like the Juno app tried to bring YouTube to the headset, but they were removed due to terms-of-service issues.
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