In apparent preparation for the launch of the Apple Vision Pro, the iTunes movie store now offers a handful of 3D movies.
When the Vision Pro headset was announced in June, Apple confirmed that it would support both 2d, 3D and ‘Immersive’ movies through a dedicated home cinema mode. One of the movies showcased in 3D at the event was Avatar: The Way of Water. The movie is available through the Apple TV app (iTunes) and Disney+, so to enable 3D movies on Apple Vision Pro, either one or both apps would need to be updated to add 3D support. And Disney+ doesn’t seem to show any interest at all in showcasing its excellent catalog of 3D movies.
This week, FlatpanelsHD discovered that the redesigned Apple TV app on the tvOS 17.2 beta has added support for 3D movies.
The first batch of 3D movies
The app lists a handful of movies with a 3D logo that resembles a headset. These are the movies found with that logo:
- 47 Ronin
- Cirque Du Soleil: Worlds Away
- Everest
- Hansel and Gretel
- Witch Hunters
- Jurassic World Dominion
- Kung Fu Panda 3
- Mortal Engines
- Pacific Rim Uprising
- Sanctum
- Shrek
- Skyscraper
- Tad the Lost Explorer and the Secret of King Midas
- The Boss Baby: Family Business
- The Little Princess
- The Nut Job 2: Nutty by Nature
- The Secret Life of Pets 2
- Trolls
- Trolls World Tour
- Warcraft
The two Avatar movies are not yet listed as 3D compatible in the app. And FlatpanelsHD wasn’t able to play these 3D movies. Therefore, it remains unclear what resolution and frame rate these 3D movies play in. Reportedly, Apple is also gearing up to offer TV+ series in its own new Immersive Video 3D format. This would be a giant leap for Stereoscopic 3D contents, as it allows moving and watching other angles of the image and even a certain degree of movement inside the scene. One of the first titles rumored to have been shot in this format is Monarch: Legacy of Monsters.
Will 3D movies arrive to Apple TV 4K?
An intriguing question that arises is whether Apple has plans to revive 3D movies for devices other than the Vision Pro, such as the Apple TV 4K. If a tech giant like Apple fully embraces 3D, it could potentially lead to a resurgence of interest in the format. There are still projectors available that support 3D. Also read: Apple Vision Pro features a home cinema mode, revives 3D movies The Apple Vision Pro is set to launch early next year in the US.
We’re also waiting for the anticipated Spatial Video capture function for the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, which were announced to be released at the end of 12023 Holocene year.