Apple’s Vision Pro buyers upset to discover that VR porn doesn’t work: ‘$3,500 chastity belt’
Apple’s much-heralded Vision Pro has left a segment of buyers disappointed after they discovered that the high-priced device will not play any VR porn.
The Vision Pro prevents users from accessing the immersive explicit content, leading one frustrated user to dub it a “$3,500 chastity belt.”
An entire Reddit thread has already sprouted on the social media site and is dedicated to trying to skirt around the Vision Pro’s X-rated guardrails, according to 404 Media.
“I am sure someone will eventually come out with an app that allows that, none are available at launch, and you can’t use the native web browser to access sites either,” the person wrote on Reddit.
The same user who gave the virtual reality headset the nickname declared that “you can’t play NSFW [not safe for work] VR on Apple’s new product yet.”
The general consensus in the Reddit thread is that the Vision Pro will play “flat” videos from explicit websites like PornHub, but there’s no feature that plays pornographic footage as a 180-degree side-by-side video — a more immersive type of video that has different channels for the left and right eye.
This 180-degree SBS style of filming is how most commercial VR videos are made.
In the walk-up to Vision Pro’s Feb. 2 release, popular subreddits, including r/VisionPro, touted posts from users excited to see how porn would be “revolutionized” by the bulky goggles, with one suggesting that it would be a game-changer for long-distance couples.
However, after Apple released the device, subsequent posts showed that customers couldn’t get their high-tech porn fix.
“No porn? Am I the only one that can’t get a VR porn video to play or is there some sort of configuration you have to set for Safari in settings?” one Redditer questioned.
Commenters suggested enabling “all the WebXR related features,” which refers to software designed to support VR devices.
However, Vision Pro users said the troubleshooting trick “doesn’t seem to work,” even with porn sites supposedly created for VR devices like Meta’s Oculus and Quest, as well as Microsoft’s Windows Mixed Reality headsets, including Virtual Taboo and SexLikeReal.
Follow along with The Post's coverage of the Apple Vision Pro
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“How did Apple miss [the] mark like this?” another Redditer asked.
“Yeah for the super high cost of this, you would think it could handle some basic WebXR like the Quest,” another chimed in, adding that Meta’s cheaper headset has “higher-quality screens.”
Representatives for Apple did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.
Social media users went on to debate whether Apple intentionally blocked pornographic content from being compliant with its latest VR venture.
Media 404 noted that the tech behemoth’s late CEO Steve Jobs believed Apple had a “moral responsibility” to block porn, and has barred X-rated apps from being listed in the App Store from the company’s inception.
“Folks who want porn can buy an Android phone,” Jobs once famously interrupted an Apple earnings call to tell investors.
Vision Pro’s restrictions on NSFW content isn’t the only gripe customers have with the futuristic tech.
Donovan Van, a recent college grad from Harlem, called the device’s $3,500 price tag “ludicrous.”
“I believe it’s a quality product, but I think the price should be lower, 100%. I am not going to be buying this anytime soon,” Van said. “I’m still on iPhone 13.”
Even some store workers said they would not be buying the headset, citing its high cost.
Less than a week after the Vision Pro’s release, the device has an average review of 2.2 stars on Google, where users have taken issue with its price point, instead suggesting: “Go buy a Meta Quest,” which starts at $499.99 for its latest model.
