Apollo for Reddit Maker Makes YouTube App for Vision Pro

The much-anticipated Apple Vision Pro headset can be bought today for $3,499 and supports over 600 native apps and games and a vast library of iPad applications.

However, the lack of official apps from streaming giants such as YouTube, Spotify, and Netflix has left some users wanting more.

Apollo for Reddit Maker Launches YouTube for Reddit

Enter Christian Selig, the dev behind the popular Apollo for Reddit client. To fill the void left by the absence of a dedicated YouTube app for Vision Pro, Selig created the Juno app. Juno, which costs $5, promises to provide a seamless YouTube experience on Apple's latest headset (via TechCrunch).

Selig, who faced setbacks with Reddit's API pricing changes leading to the closure of Apollo, expressed his motivation to create Juno last month. A recent tweet from Selig reveals his affinity for YouTube, stating, "I think I watch YouTube more than I watch any other streaming resource."

The Juno app, leveraging YouTube's embed API, ensures a native feel by loading videos in a web view. It comes equipped with playback controls, allowing users to seamlessly navigate their favorite content.

Selig's strategic use of the embed API also ensures that YouTube ads can still reach users who opt for the free version over the Premium tier.

What Sets Juno Apart

What makes Juno stand out is its commitment to providing a user-friendly experience. TechCrunch tells us that the app allows resizable windows, pinch-drag functionality for video scrubbing, and a unique double pinch feature for quick navigation, pushing the video forward or back by 10 seconds. Additionally, users can dim their surroundings, focusing solely on the captivating content.

While Juno currently supports a single window, Selig has ambitious plans to introduce multiview support, capitalizing on Vision Pro's ability to showcase multiple spatial windows. The roadmap for Juno includes features such as comment viewing, integration with new immersive environments, and caption controls.

Apple's announcement earlier this week revealed a rich landscape of 600 apps tailored for Vision Pro. However, the absence of key players like YouTube, Spotify, and Netflix at launch disappointed some enthusiasts.

However, Juno steps in to fill the YouTube gap, offering a solution for users eager to indulge in their favorite YouTube content on the cutting-edge Vision Pro headset.

'Quick and Dirty' App

Despite the challenges presented by YouTube's API, Selig remains undeterred, aiming to create a wrapper app for Vision Pro, albeit a "quick and dirty" one, as he acknowledges in his tweet.

The Juno app might not provide a perfectly native visionOS experience, but Selig is pleased with the outcome, offering users a more comfortable alternative to the standard website interface.

Juno is currently available on the App Store for a one-time fee of $4.99. The app features a translucent visionOS interface, native playback controls, automatic quality selection based on window size, and more.

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