YouTube VR is a software application which offers an interface for YouTube made for VR headsets.
Features
YouTube VR allows for access to all YouTube-hosted videos, but particularly supports headset access for 360° and 180°-degree video (both in 2D and stereoscopic 3D). The interface shows videos behind two floating panels, with the video description and comments showing on the left panel and related videos or playlists showing on the right panel. Since September 2023, the app interface allows for both immersive and 2D panel modes. The immersive mode retains a surrounding virtual background, while the 2D panel mode allows for use in augmented reality passthrough. The interface is accessible with hand tracking.[1]
Support for 3D and 360 video
Since 2009, viewers have had the ability to watch 3D videos.[2] In 2015, YouTube began natively supporting 360-degree video. Since April 2016, it allowed live streaming 360° video, and both normal and 360° video at up to 1440p, and since November 2016 both at up to 4K (2160p) resolution.[3][4][5] Citing the limited number of users who watched more than 90-degrees, it began supporting an alternative stereoscopic video format known as VR180 which it said was easier to produce,[6] which allows users to watch any video using virtual reality headsets.[7]
History
Releases
In November 2016, YouTube released YouTube VR, a dedicated version with an interface for VR devices, for Google's Daydream mobile VR platform on Android.[8] In December 2017, the app was released on Steam for HTC Vive.[9] In November 2018, YouTube VR was released on the Oculus Store for the Oculus Go headset.[10] YouTube VR was updated since for compatibility with successive Quest devices, and was ported to Pico 4.[11]
Starting with the Oculus Quest, the app was updated for compatibility with mixed-reality passthrough modes on VR headsets. In April 2024, YouTube VR was updated to support 8K SDR video on Meta Quest 3.[12]
Prior to the release of the Apple Vision Pro, YouTube announced that neither YouTube VR nor YouTube's IPadOS app would be ported to VisionOS upon launch of the headset, and suggested that Vision Pro use a web browser to access YouTube videos in-headset.[13] However, the company later clarified that native support on visionOS was "on the roadmap".[14]
Support for 8K (4320p or 4320p60) SDR video on Meta Quest 3
1.54.21
March 7, 2024
1.55.23
April 2, 2024
1.56.21
April 25, 2024
1.57.29
May 23, 2024
1.58.14
June 13, 2024
1.59.56
September 13, 2024
1.60.17
September 26, 2024
1.60.18
October 9, 2024
1.60.19
November 6, 2024
Support for co-watching YouTube videos, including 2D videos in 8K, full movies in 4K, and YouTube Shorts, with up to seven mutual Horizon Home friends, whether in Horizon Home or in mixed reality mode. Paid content only viewable to those who have paid for said content.
