Apple Promised Immersive Video Content Would Come to Vision Pro, Where is It? March 23, 2024

Apple is more than just a successful computer/tech company, since the launch of iTunes (now Apple Music), they are likely the biggest digital distributor of media content on the planet. Most major albums, feature films and television shows that are not locked to competing streaming services can be purchased on Apple’s digital marketplace and watched on various platforms including iPhone, iPad, PC and Mac. Now, after seeing the success of subscription services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime, Apple decided to launch their own dedicated subscription service, Apple TV+. Priced at $9.99US a month, it gives you access to several exclusive films and television shows that cannot be watched on any other service (or even purchased through iTunes!).

This year, Apple has shifted their focus to Augmented Reality (AR). Their biggest new release is the Vision Pro, and as expected, the device will fully integrate with their existing digital marketplace and streaming service, allowing you to watch supported content in 2D and 3D. As someone who got one at launch, I can tell you that it delivers on what Apple promised. Theatrical films watched on the Vision Pro’s Apple TV application can virtually replicate a theater experience, in 2D AND 3D. In fact, Apple’s official in-store Vision Pro demonstration included showing two different pieces of 3D content. The first was the 3D trailer for Super Mario Bros: The Movie. This was meant to show that Apple could accurately replicate a 3D movie theater experience in Vision Pro, The second was an Immersive trailer for all the exclusive shows they would be releasing on Vision Pro, and if you don’t have a Vision Pro you should schedule yourself a demo of the hardware just so you can watch it yourself.

When Apple released the Vision Pro on February 2nd, 2024, they launched three Apple TV+ Immersive shows and one exclusive immersive special alongside the device with each show focused on a different concept. The first is Adventure, which highlights extreme athletes accomplishing incredible feats. Its pilot episode featured a line walker who attempted to cross a rope connecting two sheer cliff sides. It is without a doubt my favorite show of the initial launch. The second is Wild Life, which focuses on showing the wild animals kept and cared for in natural preserves across the world. Its first episode focused on the rhino and was absolutely adorable. The third was an immersive adaptation of Apple’s Prehistoric Planet. While it was entirely CG, it made you felt like you were literally among dinosaurs in their natural environment. It wasn’t my favorite show on the series (I never watched Prehistoric Planet in 2D), I admit it has potential.

The last immersive release was an Apple Music special. Alicia Keys recorded a rehearsal session in full 3D surround performing some of her favorite songs. It’s a great look into an intimate jam session that makes you feel like you’re recording the songs alongside the band. If you’re a fan of Alicia’s music, you must watch it. Here’s the official trailer for it (in 2D).

Since the Vision Pro offers native 4K HDR 3D display, the picture quality on these shows is beyond anything I’ve seen offered in competing devices or competing services. Apple is one of the most successful companies in the world, so they could certainly afford to spare no expense when budgeting these shows. UHD-capable immersive 3D cameras are extremely expensive, and some of the shows highlighted at launch were clearly shot in untamed natural locations at extreme conditions. That said, the pilot episodes prove the final product was worth the expense, as Vision Pro has set a new gold standard for 3D immersive content no rival can match yet.

So if the content is so great (for the most part) what’s the problem? I just listed out three shows and one special. On paper, you’d think that isn’t a bad launch, and you’d be partially right. The content released so far do not appear to fit a traditional time frame, so each “episode” of the new shows do not take up the traditional 30 minute time frame (or 22 without commercials). They vary from seven to fifteen minutes in length each. The longest content is the Alicia Keys special, and that isn’t much longer.

As of the time this is being published, it has been nearly two months since the Vision Pro launched. Since then, Apple has not released a single new episode for any of the immersive shows that I referenced before, nor have they released previews for any new immersive shows or specials. An immersive trailer was created at launch for demonstration purposes, which included a mixture of footage from the shows that have already been released, and footage that looks to have been filmed for as yet unreleased episodes of those same shows. Among the new content included footage of hot air ballooning, a frozen coastline taken over by extreme surfers, a grizzly bear in its natural habitat, and 3D clips from various worldwide sporting events.

Typically streaming services will either release all episodes of a new show at launch, or they will post new episodes each week. So far, neither of those things have happened. This is literally unheard of in the modern streaming world. Why haven’t new episodes of these shows been released yet? They clearly have unaired footage recorded (as proven in the immersive trailer), why are they holding off releasing it on Apple TV+? Secondly, why haven’t any more immersive shows or specials been announced? A streaming service is only as good as the content it offers, and if you are recurrently billing for access to it, you MUST offer a pipeline of new content regularly! At the same time a service like MAX or Netflix would launch a new show, press releases would always follow announcing new seasons, specials, or content that would be coming next. It just isn’t in Apple’s interest for them to remain silent.

The Apple TV+ service has been lagging behind in adoption since its launch, immersive content is the one hand it can play to leapfrog over its competition! Until new episodes get released, if you happen to have a Vision Pro, or are getting a Vision Pro demonstration from a friend or family member who has one, I absolutely recommend giving every one of these new immersive shows a watch, whether you’re a TV+ subscriber or not. As per Apple’s policy, non TV+ subscribers are allowed to watch the first episode of most of their series, and the immersive shows currently available are not an exception to this policy. The Vision Pro launched on a Friday, and for the past two months, I have kept my eyes glued to the TV application in anticipation for any new episodes to be posted. Vision Pro owners, join my vigil, will you?