Meta Quest Netflix Streaming Improvements Coming Soon; But There’s A Catch

An upcoming improvement from Meta and Quest is marking a new experience for Netflix streaming right on the headsets, one that will take this feat to the next level compared to the previous way. It is known that the dedicated Netflix app on the Quest headsets can only deliver up to 480p of streaming quality, and this would not matter even if one is subscribed to the top Premium tier that offers 4K.

This latest update comes from Meta Quest itself, but there is a catch to the new streaming experience for users.

Meta Quest's Netflix Streaming to See Improvements Soon

A new blog post from Meta Quest for its XR headset, Quest 3, details the new experiences and improvements available on the headset. This announcement also heavily focuses on Netflix streaming. The company said that users will get the chance to see an improvement in streaming quality and new viewing modes for the streaming platform.

This update will allow users to choose between a flat 2D screen or a "theater view," which offers a curved screen with 'far-field' windows.

Meta did not reveal when this would arrive, but the company said it would be available soon.

What's The Catch for Quest's Netflix Streaming?

There is a catch in Quest's latest improvement for Netflix, and this is because the experience would only be accessible on the in-headset browser and not via its app. However, this is a good thing for Quest users as Netflix seems to have no plans to update its dedicated app, which can only stream up to 480p quality for users, with no viewing mode options available.

Quest vs. Vision Pro Streaming

The Quest's longer run on the market gives it some edge against its rival, the Apple Vision Pro, in several experiences available for the wearable headset. Apart from playing games and apps, Meta's Quest also allows users to enjoy streaming right on the device, last year, Peacock TV was made available on the Meta Shop.

However, Vision Pro also offers it, and Apple saw various streaming platforms develop a native app for the XR headset during its launch, but not all were willing to do so. Among the first holdouts to develop a Vision Pro app was Netflix, which was later followed by YouTube and Spotify, which refused to develop one despite Apple sharing its visionOS SDK for an easier process.

Since February's Vision Pro release, it has been touted as the better device that offers massive experiences alongside notable streaming quality, but Quest takes the edge to get more apps that deliver on these platforms. That being said, Netflix went a long time without updating its app, and Meta took the liberty of improving the Netflix streaming experience on Quest, even if it is for the browser only.