Apple has detailed a number of entertainment experiences that will be available at launch with its mixed-reality Apple Vision Pro, which goes on sale on February 2. At launch, the headset will feature 150 3D movies, immersive films and series, a Travel Mode feature, streaming services like Disney+ and Amazon Prime Video, and more.
The Vision Pro will allow users to download and stream content from Disney+, ESPN, MLB, PGA Tour, Max, Discovery+, Amazon Prime Video, Paramount+, Peacock, Pluto TV, Tubi, Fubo, Crunchyroll, Red Bull TV, IMAX, TikTok and MUBI. Users can also watch online and streaming video using Safari and other browsers.
Users will be able to watch “Avatar: The Way of Water,” “Dune,” “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” and “The Super Mario Bros.” and more in 3D. Users can access 3D versions of eligible movies on the Apple TV app, and users who own or purchase movies with a 3D edition will be able to access that version on Apple Vision Pro at no extra cost. Apple says several streaming apps, including Disney+, will offer 3D versions of their new and popular movies on Vision Pro. More titles, including those available exclusively to Disney+ subscribers, will be announced at a later date.
The headset will also come with Apple Immersive Video, which is a new entertainment format that features 180-degree 3D 8K recordings captured with Spatial Audio. Apple is making a curated selection of immersive films and series available on the Vision Pro at launch. The immersive films and series include “Adventure,” which follows pioneering athletes as they take on challenges and “Wild Life,” which takes viewers up close with unique creatures. The collection also includes “Prehistoric Planet Immersive” and “Alicia Keys: Rehearsal Room.”
The Vision Pro will launch with a “Travel Mode” feature that will stabilize visuals for use on planes, along with a “Guest Users” feature that will allow users to share specific apps and experiences with others.
“Apple Vision Pro is the ultimate entertainment device,” said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing, in a press release. “Users can turn any place into the best seat in the house, enjoy personal concerts and adventures with Apple Immersive Video, interact with lifelike prehistoric creatures in Encounter Dinosaurs, and even land on the surface of the moon using Environments. It’s unlike anything users have ever seen before and we can’t wait for them to experience it for themselves.”
The headset includes ultra-high-resolution micro-OLED displays with a combined 23 million pixels with wide color, high dynamic range and Dolby Vision. The Vision Pro comes with two hours of general use and up to 2.5 hours for video playback. If you want all-day use, the headset’s external battery needs to be connected to power with a USB-C charging cable.
Preorders for the $3,500 headset open on January 19 at 5 a.m. PT. At launch, the new Vision Pro App Store will feature “more than 1 million” compatible iOS and iPadOS apps, along with experiences designed specifically for the headset.
techcrunch.com