Beginning February 2, fans will be able to experience Disney’s iconic stories like never before with Disney+ on Apple Vision Pro, Apple’s revolutionary spatial computer, offering Disney+ subscribers with a Vision Pro device a new way to stream entertainment at no additional cost.
At launch, viewers can transform their space into one of four Disney+ environments, bringing them even closer to the story. Each environment includes animations and sounds that make the space feel alive and Easter eggs from films and franchises that will surprise and delight fans.
“At Disney, we’re constantly searching for new ways to entertain, inform, and inspire by combining exceptional creativity with groundbreaking technology to create truly remarkable experiences,” said Bob Iger, CEO of The Walt Disney Company.
“Apple Vision Pro is a revolutionary platform that will bring our fans closer to the characters and stories they love while immersing them more deeply in all that Disney has to offer. We’re proud to once again be partnering with Apple to bring extraordinary new Disney experiences to people around the world.”
Available only on Apple Vision Pro, Disney+ subscribers will be able to stream the entire catalog – including thousands of TV shows and films, plus access to Hulu content for eligible Disney Bundle subscribers.
Included are iconic environments with vivid details such as the Disney+ Theater, inspired by the historic El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood; the Scare Floor from Pixar’s Monsters Inc.; Marvel’s Avengers Tower overlooking downtown Manhattan; and the cockpit of Luke Skywalker’s landspeeder, facing a binary sunset on the planet Tatooine from the Star Wars galaxy.
With 3D movies, Disney’s storytelling will also leap off the screen like never before with remarkable depth and clarity for an unprecedented in-home 3D experience on Disney+ with Apple Vision Pro. Viewers will be able to watch dozens of popular movies in 3D, like Avatar: The Way of Water, Avengers: Endgame, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Elemental, and Encanto.
Apple Vision Pro users can also rent or purchase most 3D movies through the Store tab in the Apple TV app. Users who previously purchased Disney movies that include 3D versions from the Apple TV app will be able to access those 3D versions on Apple Vision Pro at no additional cost.
Disney+ on Apple Vision Pro is the result of innovation and collaboration between multiple technology teams at the Company, including Disney Studio Technology, Disney Entertainment & ESPN Technology, ILM Immersive, and Skywalker Sound.
Disney+ environments were developed using the Universal Scene Description (USD) format. Originally developed by Pixar and open-sourced in 2016, USD allows developers to work simultaneously and collaboratively across creation tools and development pipelines to compose complex 3D experiences at scale, across many applications, and in real-time.
The Alliance for OpenUSD – a group formed by Pixar and Apple, among others – is working to standardize the USD format across the industry.
Using Dolby Vision and Multiview High-Efficiency Video Coding (MV-HEVC), 3D movies on Disney+ will deliver exceptional UHD resolution in HDR, unfiltered and independent for each eye, and at a high frame rate for several titles – ensuring that the filmmakers’ creative intent is fully preserved and reflected.
Mirko Parlevliet has been reporting on the entertainment industry since 1998 and founded Vital Thrills in 2018 to cover the latest news on streaming, movies, TV, and video games.