It’s no secret that the Netflix app on the Meta Quest 3 is absolute trash. It hardly works with low-res videos and has poor optimization; there’s no reason to install it even if you have an active Netflix subscription. But Meta and Netflix have just announced a plan to change the Netflix VR experience – abandon the app and try a new approach.
That is to say that “in the coming days” – per the Quest Blog, where it also announced its Meta Connect 2024 dates – you’ll be able to launch Netflix in the Quest 3 web browser to enjoy shows and films “in high resolution.” Presumably, this means at least full HD, but we won’t count our chickens until they hatch, and we’ve found out from trying the service how crisp the images are.
The post says you’ll be able to enjoy the show on a flat 2D screen or in a theater view that includes a curved screen – much like using other browser-based VR experiences.
A much needed video upgrade
I never really thought about VR video streaming on Quest until the Apple Vision Pro was released and proved how bad a job the Horizon OS was doing in this department.
The Quest 3 has few of the best streaming services as dedicated apps, and those it does have – like Netflix – aren’t worth installing. The Vision Pro, on the other hand, is packed with great video streaming services, including a Disney Plus app that streams 3D videos directly to the headset.
This Netflix update isn’t quite at the same level, but it is a solid start and is hopefully a sign future updates for other video platforms are coming soon. I had hoped such an update would arrive in preparation for an LG OLED-equipped Meta Quest Pro 2; however, while the software might still arrive, LG’s recent comments have me worried its Meta Quest Pro 2 collaboration might not be going ahead.
We’ll have to wait and see what happens on the hardware front, but for now we can just enjoy that the Quest 3 finally has a worthwhile Netflix experience.