Apple’s Vision Pro headset will be missing a Netflix app at launch in February

Rather than designing a Vision Pro app – or even just supporting its existing iPad app on the platform – Netflix is essentially taking a pass. The company, which competes with Apple in streaming, said in a statement that users interested in watching its content on the device can do so from the web.

It is a sizeable omission for the US$3,499 headset, which debuts on February 2. Apple is banking on entertainment content to help market the nascent and pricey technology, and Netflix is a must-have streaming service for many consumers.

Netflix also offers apps for Apple’s other devices, including the iPhone and iPad, though it does not participate in the company’s TV app.

The Vision Pro will run two main types of apps: new software written specifically for the device’s interface or existing iPad applications. Apple has sought to make it easy to transfer developers’ current iPad apps over to the new platform, aiming to quickly amass a wide range of Vision Pro software.

The fact that Netflix is not even willing to support the iPad approach suggests that it is taking a wait-and-see stance with the headset. It is also a bit of a reversal for the company, which said in July that it would support its iPad app on the Vision Pro. Even then, though, Netflix did not plan to release software specifically for the headset’s operating system, visionOS.