The tech world—and a smattering of the mainstream—is smitten with the Apple Vision Pro. The pricey device is pitched as “spatial computing,” creating a whole new paradigm of interacting with information and media.
Just not porn. Which, arguably, is one of the first things any new technology is inevitably pointed at.
Given Apple’s established prudishness, it’s unlikely there’ll be an official channel for adult entertainment approved for use with the Apple Vision Pro. But users were eager to see if it could be used with established platforms that share 3D videos of human mating.
The answer was, alas, no. You can see an ultra-realistic 3D rhino or dinosaur looming right in front of you, but a naked person? That’s a no-go.
More than a few Apple Vision Pro owners were clearly enticed at the prospect of immersive, three-dimensional sex.
“Just pre-ordered my Apple Vision Pro shits. Porn about to go crazyyyyy,” Youtuber Tim Chantarangsu tweeted. People like him didn’t care about playing virtual piano, or having F1 tracks in their living rooms. They wanted just one thing, and Apple is keeping it from them.
Reality check: no spatial sex here
As some early adopters donned their headsets, the excitement quickly turned into dismay when it became clear that the $3,500 Vision Pro was incompatible with existing, largely standardized VR porn. Users on platforms like Reddit’s r/oculusnsfw and r/VisionPro subreddits voiced their frustrations, as reported by 404 Media. Posts flowed in, asking where all the 3D porn was.
It is, in part, a technical issue.
At launch, the Apple Vision Pro cannot play the videos in the format prevalent in most commercial VR porn.
“The Vision Pro will not play external VR videos out-of-the-box,” DeoVR, a site specialized in VR media, explains, “It is capable of 8K, 60FPS VR content, but there is no simple way of sideloading them onto the device.
“It is possible to download your own content from DeoVR to the headset using Safari, but it can only be displayed as flat,” DeoVR continues. “There is no option for VR180 or any form of immersive view.”
Apple’s historical stance on adult content, shaped by Steve Jobs’ policy of blocking porn on the company’s platforms, has developed another layer of complexity. Despite support for the WebXR standard in Safari, the 3D content was not functioning optimally, leading to glitchy, non-full-screen, or flat experiences for those who tried tweaking the settings.
Although Apple Vision Pro users cannot see what they want to see in spatial, immersive, 3D glory, however, they can still play flat videos on a massive, virtual screen. At least they can get a personal porn theater all to themselves.
There’s a solution —kind of
Among the VR porn faithful, there is massive interest in jailbreaking Apple’s latest device—driving more furious hacking than the days of Saurik and his crew of nerds fighting to root old-school iPhones.One approach involves enabling specific settings in the Vision Pro’s Safari browser, provided here for educational purposes only.
By accessing “Settings” > “Apps” > “Safari” > “Advanced” > “Feature Flags,” users can activate the WebXR Device API, Enhance API, WebXR Augmented Reality Module, and WebXR Gamepads Module.
This workaround, although not perfect, has been partially successful, with sites like VRPorn.com providing a more immersive experience.
Some users reported that the hack was not effective, while others assured they got decent results.
“This actually worked,” McSlappin1407 said on another Reddit thread. “Still a little wonky and won’t let me use my hands for pinch when I’m immersed but good solution. Thanks,”
McSlappin1407 did not specify what he was trying to pinch. Decrypt did not reach out for further comment.
Edited by Ryan Ozawa.
