Google has finally launched a native app for Apple’s Vision Pro headset, plugging a major hole in the headset’s third-party application offering.
The full fat YouTube experience is available to download from the App Store and finally gives users a way to watch content natively without using the Safari browser or one of the third-party options that invariably popped up before being shut down.
The new app offers support for 3D 360-degree videos and VR180. Users with a Vision Pro M5 headset can enjoy videos in 8K resolution. Google says users can watch in full screen, or within Vision Pro environments. “Experience your favourite YouTube channels, videos and creators in extended reality. The YouTube app turns every video on the platform into a spatial watch experience,” Google says.
Google’s wait and see attitude towards the Vision Pro from launch felt like a blow. It hurt the perception that the Vision Pro was a big deal, that every major content provider needed to be in on. Back in February 2024, Google said that a Vision Pro app was “on our roadmap” but it has taken two years to come to fruition.
“We’re excited to see Vision Pro launch and we’re supporting it by ensuring YouTube users have a great experience in Safari,” the company said at the time. “We do not have any specific plans to share at this time, but can confirm that a Vision Pro app is on our roadmap.”
