A bunch of 3D movies have appeared on the Apple TV app and in the iTunes Movie Store, which seems to be a move to prepare content for the launch of Apple Vision Pro.
Whether these are destined for the headset is purely speculation at the moment, but given Apple’s focus on showing you 3D movies on the headset during WWDC 2023, it’s fair to assume this is a move in preparation for it.
What films are coming?
The list was found in tvOS 17.2 beta, discovered by FlatpanelsHD, and it is a catalog of pre-existing films that have already been given the 3D treatment in a past cinema release.
- 47 Ronin
- Cirque Du Soleil: Worlds Away
- Everest
- Hansel and Gretel Witch Hunters
- Jurassic World Dominion
- Kung Fu Panda 3
- Mortal Engines
- Pacific Rim Uprising
- Sanctum
- Shrek
- Skyscraper
- Tad the Lost Explorer and the Secret of King Midas
- The Boss Baby: Family Business
- The Little Princess
- The Nut Job 2: Nutty by Nature
- The Secret Life of Pets 2
- Trolls
- Trolls World Tour
- Warcraft
So a good mix of family films, comedies, action, and sci-fi. Of course this list will probably get a whole lot bigger over time, but it’s a decent start.
As for the technology behind them, Apple has stayed vague about the resolution and frame rate of these films, but we do know it makes the most of stereoscopic 3D — laying two flat images on top of each other from slightly different perspectives to create a depth effect.
Can VR headsets save the 3D dream?
Of course, in absence of the Vision Pro headset, it may seem a little poorly timed to put 3D movies on Apple TV, given 3D TVs had their moment in the limelight and died out quickly.
While the answer to enjoying stereoscopic 3D content in the home seems to be a VR headset, this could usher in a new wave of interest in 3D TVs. That’s a wild prediction, I know, and I wouldn't be surprised if they stayed dead.
But what was the one thing that killed the 3D TV? The amount of content and access to it. This was a wild west of a market back in the heyday, but to make it easy to access shows and movies through an online store like the Apple TV app may simplify that and repopularize them.
Apple continues to remain tight-lipped about original content, but it would be daft to not assume that there isn’t some sort of 3D content coming to Apple TV+. Only where it makes sense, of course — Ted Lasso’s giant mustache in 3D might be a jump scare to a lot of folks!
