VR porn a no go for Apple Vision Pro users as capability blocked by Apple

Apple has disabled the ability for Safari to support VR porn being viewed on its new Vision Pro headset. While Apple has had a long-standing policy of not allowing apps with pornographic content on its iPhones and iPads, it has never made any attempts to block users from accessing content of their choice on their devices through the web. Of course, it has even less control - as things currently stand - on its Macs, which, like other PCs, permit users to install their own apps and view whatever content they choose and in whatever way.

While Vision Pro users aren’t blocked from viewing porn using Safari per se, Apple has blocked the ability to view porn in immersive VR mode, a function that has not been blocked on other VR headsets from other makers. This means the Vision Pro is the world’s first "spatial computer" that cannot play spatial porn. Users can still view regular porn on a “flat” screen, but this is likely to leave connoisseurs of immersive porn feeling deflated – in more ways than one. 

One workaround for Apple aficionados is to get themselves a cheap Google Cardboard or similar old-school mobile phone VR viewer, and use their iPhones like the early days of VR porn. However, the high visual fidelity of a Vision Pro would have undoubtedly made it a next-level experience. Historically, the porn industry has been a key driver of the mainstream adoption of new technologies, however, it seems Apple is prepared to cede that part of the market to other headset makers.

The comments on the Reddit thread linked below discussing this issue is worth a look.

Update: Vision Pro users can enable immersive web content - including VR porn - however, Apple has made the process quite convoluted with 9 steps required to activate the WebXR API in Safari for Vision Pro. Apple currently considers the feature "experimental", which - especially for a AR/VR headset with limited content at launch - seems something of an unusual oversight. This suggests that it could become enabled by default in future, but there isn't a public timeline for when this might happen. It is also conceivable that Apple may leave the feature obscured as it is indefinitely given its "family-friendly" public image.

Purchase the VR porn-capable Meta Quest 3 from Amazon from $499.