Apple Vision Pro proves best home theater as 2024 top grossing films arrive in 3D

For many, Apple’s new ultrawide Mac Virtual Display feature in visionOS 2.2 beta is the killer app on Apple Vision Pro. But you don’t need to be a Mac user to appreciate Apple Vision Pro and its role as an incredible mobile movie theater.

I’ve been splitting my time for the last two months between my home and my family’s place four hours away. At home, I have an Apple TV 4K attached to my wall-mounted 65-inch Micro LED 4K TV. At my family’s place, the largest TV is about 19-inches. It’s a charming place along a river in the woods and away from the city, but it’s not my living room.

Still, in both locations I’ve been using Apple Vision Pro and AirPods Pro 2 to watch movies and weekly TV shows that I’ve been following.

Primarily Agatha All Along on Disney+, Shrinking on Apple TV+, and ticky-tacky Christmas rom-coms on Netflix where people fall in love after physically bumping into each other in public places. (Bonus points for spilled coffee.) While there’s no Netflix app for Apple Vision Pro, the way visionOS 2 handles video playback from Safari with immersive environments is just as satisfying.

Me… watching Shrinking… outside… by the river.

Apple Vision Pro is also made fascinating thanks to immersive video that ranges from Super Bowl highlights to the original scripted short film Submerged. (Speaking of Submerged, can someone make a similar film following astronauts stuck in space? Perfect plot for the format. Free idea for directors.) There’s also a space between ordinary video and immersive video: 3D content. Sure, 3D movies in theaters can be too dim and not worth the fatigue, and 3D TVs proved a failed technology a decade ago.

Apple Vision Pro, on the other hand, is the ideal display for 3D video. Apple Vision Pro provides a picture with plenty of brightness, and the closeness and scale make 3D content all the more engaging. For me, my 3D movie library is already populated with a number of titles thanks to past purchases from the iTunes Store.

For newer content, Disney+ has provided a fantastic catalog of 3D content that plays extremely well on Apple Vision Pro. As it turns out, the top two grossing films of 2024 happen to be available in 3D on Disney+ for visionOS, making Apple Vision Pro the best way to experience Inside Out 2 and Deadpool and Wolverine.

I saw Inside Out 2 in theaters with my kids (and loved it), but my Deadpool and Wolverine experience involved my friend’s outdoor patio TV and a lot of sunlight. I think it’s time for a proper viewing experience using the best home theater in my possession. If you’re like me and especially value movie watching, Apple Vision Pro provides an unmatched experience that’s incredibly compelling.

P.S. I’m writing this in Vision Pro using the killer ultrawide Mac Virtual Display feature with my M4 Mac mini while I’m away from home for the week. The best part? No one around me can see what I’m working on right now. :)