After holding out during the launch period of the Apple Vision Pro, Google confirms that its team is creating a dedicated YouTube app for the mixed-reality headset as part of its plans. However, it is not arriving shortly, with Google's statement claiming that it is part of its roadmap and will come later in the future, without any time frame provided.
The goal is to bring the native experience of YouTube to the immersive features of the Vision Pro, but for now, users would have to make do with its access via Apple's Safari browser, like how the public would normally access it via computers.
YouTube App for Vision Pro is Coming But Would Take Long
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Google released a statement (via The Verge) claiming that the team is working on creating a YouTube app for the Vision Pro, and through this, the native experience of the streaming platform would be available in the headset. Currently, it is already part of the road map development under YouTube, something that the company is already planning to develop.
However, there are no specific timelines for this release, and this means users would have to wait for when Google and YouTube would announce the app.
That being said, Google statements hint that it may come after a long time, as it is not exactly a top priority, and well as no specificities yet as of the moment.
Google also mentioned an alternative to accessing YouTube on the Vision Pro now, and this is through the built-in web browser of the wearable, Safari. Like how users would go to the site normally on a computer, accessing YouTube is available on the browser and it will still offer a way to stream videos.
However, there are specific controls that may bring challenges as it is optimized for the computer that uses mouse and keyboard controls.
Apple Vision Pro's Apps
One of the main questions about what to experience on the Vision Pro is the apps available on the XR wearable from Apple, especially as it is a new frontier that runs on the visionOS, a new operating system. Initially, Apple said that it would not be a problem as despite having yet a short list of dedicated or optimized apps, it could access all iPhone and iPad applications.
Through this, the Vision Pro experience would be limitless and prove to be massive for the user.
However, there were a couple of standouts who claimed they were not creating a Vision Pro version of the app, with their dedicated iPhone or iPad apps also unavailable. This started with Netflix first, then Spotify, and YouTube who followed their holdout against Apple for the Vision Pro.
The good thing is, that Google now caved to the Apple Vision Pro and has decided to create a new app specifically streamlined for the wearable headset, meant for its owners to enjoy. However, it is not yet here and it may take a long time before its actual arrival, with YouTube now promoting access to its platform via Vision Pro's Safari browser in the mean time.
