Disney+ for Meta Quest launches in Germany
Disney+ is now available as a dedicated app for Meta Quest in Germany. However, 3D content is still missing.
Disney+ enables a virtual home cinema experience.
(Image: Meta)
The official Disney+ app for Meta Quest launched in the USA in December and has been available internationally since last week. Supported devices include Meta Quest 3, 3S, and 2.
The standard subscription presents content like on other platforms in maximum Full HD and 5.1 surround sound, while the more expensive Premium subscription offers Ultra HD, HDR, and Dolby Atmos. However, on Meta Quest 3 and 3S, the visual upgrades are hardly noticeable, as the resolution of the LCD screens is significantly lower than that of a 4K display, and they do not support HDR.
The 3D audio format Dolby Atmos has been supported by Meta Quest since system update 71. While conventional surround concepts assign sound to fixed channels, Atmos treats sounds as individual "objects" that can move freely in three-dimensional space. The VR headset captures every head movement in real-time, so that sounds remain firmly anchored in space and can be perceived from the correct direction.
Content can be downloaded to the device with both subscriptions and watched offline later, which is useful for travel, for example. This makes Disney+ the second major streaming service with a native download function for Meta Quest, after Amazon Prime Video. Netflix, which is optimized for the Quest browser, lacks this capability. Both Amazon Prime Video and Netflix are also limited to Full HD display.
Videos by heise
No 3D movies
Movies and series are displayed in the passthrough view on a virtual display that can be used alongside other windows (browser, 2D apps). Immersive environments, like those offered by the app counterpart on Apple Vision Pro, are not available.
What is also missing in direct comparison to the Apple Vision Pro are 3D contents. However, these are currently switched off in Germany anyway. Disney has not yet explained why this is the case. It is possible that a patent dispute with InterDigital is responsible for the removal of this and other features like Dolby Vision.
If this is resolved, German Quest users might one day be able to enjoy 3D movies: In the Quest Store, the app developers write that Disney+ on Meta Quest is to be expanded with 3D features in the future. Since VR headsets are excellent playback devices for 3D movies, a lot of potential remains untapped until then.
Meta's next VR headset is reportedly planned for 2027 and will reportedly be more focused on media consumption. It could thus feature displays over the Apple Vision Pro on which high-resolution content like that from Disney+ is better showcased.
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