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Comment by danso | Hacker News Reader

I’ve had a Quest 2 since the covid shut-in era, and I now only ever use it to watch the Netflix and Prime Video apps — both of which are basic and haven’t been updated for years. Which is weird, b/c right now, the home theater experience is one of the only things that VR indisputably (for the most part) does better than non-VR platforms. Right now the main flaw is that these basic apps stream at a low resolution (480p in Netflix’s case)

It makes no sense why Netflix/Amazon would neglect apps for a 20m userbase. The most rational explanation is that the VR userbase still has a very low active/attach rate. Maybe Netflix/Amazon aren’t excited to help Meta, but it’s not like they’re making their own VR headsets yet.

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Maybe it isn't VR they're shying away from, maybe it is apple.

I wonder if Apple's handling of the app store has finally come around to bite them.

Steve Jobs was a pretty good integrator, and got the people in different industries to work together. That's all over as apple turns inwards and doesn't do "relationships" anymore.

I think it's this. Apple is actively pulling 27% cut for web purchases nonsense after the Fortnite ruling. If I were an app developer, I wouldn't support an untested platform managed by a hostile entity like Apple. If Apple wants native apps, they'll need to sweeten the pot.

AFAIK it's only web purchases initiated through the app.

If you use a normal browser to buy stuff and it activates in the app, they get zilch.

First you'd have to know that option exists, but developers aren't allowed to disclose alternative options in the app.

Yea, that hasn't changed. Even the Kindle app on iOS is really coy about where to get more books.

But it's not like Google costs money, people can find out by themselves.

All these companies’ apps are still available in App Store for iPhone, iPad, etc.

Because those devices have lots and lots of users they can't lose.

Vision Pro has 0 users so far, will have a negligible amount for a while given the retail price, and almost certainly every single user of Vision Pro will have another device that these companies' apps already exist, so they aren't losing potential users.

This seems like the biggest factor to me. I can't even count the number of stories I've see that made me think that I would never ever want any significant income or business to be dependent on Apple. It would be more surprising to me if everyone was clamoring to jump on a new untested Apple platform given their behavior over the years.

>the home theater experience is one of the only things that VR indisputably

You can't watch unless you are alone, the surround sound is reduced to stereo and the resolution is sub-4k once the rendering is done.

Home theater VR is indisputably better than a phone/tablet/laptop and headphones.

That’s a bit reductive. On VR you can also watch immersive videos and mainstream films in 3D.

From the comfort of your toilet no less. Let’s see a home theater do that.

You’re right, I’ve never seen a home theater built in a shitter.

But that doesn’t mean it can’t be done!

The "house of the future" in the Netherlands had this in the 80s.

It also had a non-blurred glass toilet door, clearly the future was imagined to be very exhibitionistic.

I've been to enough boutique hotels in the Netherlands with clear glass doors from bedroom to bathroom to say that probably wasn't a "future" thing, just a Dutch thing...

But it's perfect if you do want to watch alone. Depending on the app, 5.1 audio is spatialized. Resolution is effectively 1080p in terms of detail if you make the screen comfortably large.

And if you have the right app, you can lie back on your bed and watch your movie on a cinema screen that feels like it's floating above you in the sky. Incredibly relaxing, and amazing if you have any kind of back problems.

Also the best way to watch 3D movies -- no loss of brightness like in cinemas, and none of the ghosting you get using Bluetooth shutter glasses with a TV/projector.

Also worth noting that - while it's not ideal for sharing movies in person - it's fantastic for sharing movies online. I've been watching movies with friends from all over the globe in VRChat, and it's a fantastic experience. Looking forward to Apple spreading it with SharePlay in the Vision Pro!

Although my Elac speakers and SVS sub have an opinion of their own, but I agree generally regarding Oculus. Apple MacBook Pros are the best approximation for stereo-only. My Thinkpad T series has terrible speakers, so headphones are an improvement for almost any activity there. Quest Pro sound is pretty good, but it's nothing spectacular and good luck casting or viewing multichannel media there, i.e., there's no Plex or VLC for Oculus (this app doesn't work on Quest[0]). Without the encouragement and convincing of each major app vendor to get on another platform, they won't and can't justify the expense. This is one of catch-22's of platforms being double-ended marketplaces that must be addressed, or it will bomb.

0. https://www.meta.com/experiences/1779825005402730/

Meta doesn’t have the Quest certified for Widevine levels needed for higher quality playback.

That’s really all it is. Till Meta put in the effort, nobody will really want to support them.

Yes it does.

It didn't when the Netflix app launched, but the Quest 2 and 3 support Widevine Level 1.

Ah interesting. Trying to find documentation led me to believe it’s still unsupported but guess not.

Either way, I think it’s on Meta to do some of the legwork to land third parties.

> Either way, I think it’s on Meta to do some of the legwork to land third parties.

Oh absolutely. If Meta want a good film rental service on the Quest they'll have to either cut someone better terms on the 30% or pay for one themselves, but they've done neither. Apple are almost certainly doing some of those, and the most interesting Vision Pro launch is their own service which they paid for. Meta keep chasing metaverse experiences that are not ready for prime time instead of services that could be good now like collective film watching even if they are less exciting for internal slidedecks.

I've had a Quest Pro (free from work) but haven't used it except to play a Half Life VR-only game. The StreamVR and Oculus apps were/are fragile and required constant reset ceremonies to work. As such, it's mostly gathering dust by the printer.

I tried it for use as N external monitors, but I can't see the point (no pun intended) when I have a 49" wide monitor or for anything else specific because I have an 85" TV on the wall.

The only real case I can see would be if most people on a work team worked in VR and "Zoomed" on a platform that supported VR, then it would make some sense if some people chose not to live stream video of themselves but wanted to participated more than audio only by sharing a VR "Workplace"-like stream instead.

> I tried it for use as N external monitors, but I can't see the point (no pun intended) when I have a 49" wide monitor or for anything else specific because I have an 85" TV on the wall.

Right but that's a lot of space that not many people have available in their home office. Not to mention how much more portable a laptop + headset would be.

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