Meta Quest owners could one day use AirPlay to watch content from their iPhone, iPad, or Mac

All of the talk in the world of AR/VR headsets might be about the Apple Vision Pro right now, but there is no denying that the Meta Quest products are popular. With prices that make Apple's $3,499 starting price seem so far out of reach that it's a wonder anyone bought an Apple Vision Pro, the headsets are self-contained and powerful. And soon, they could also support a key Apple feature.

That feature is AirPlay, and it could change the way that Meta Quest owners enjoy media on their headsets. AirPlay allows iPhone, iPad, and Mac users to share their displays and the content of streaming apps to other devices. Those devices could be an Apple TV streaming box or a smart TV, while smart speakers are also offered as an AirPlay option for music fans. And if things go according to plan, Meta Quest headsets could be next.

The move, confirmed by Meta's VP of VR Mark Rabkin, would mean that owners of Apple devices could potentially AirPlay content from those devices and onto a Quest device. As Upload VR notes, the state of video streaming apps on the Quest is dire - Netflix hasn't been updated in years and only supports 480p video and the Peacock app is just a link to the website. The Amazon Prime Video app simply does not work.

One fix could be to allow people to AirPlay content from their iPhones instead, although there is a catch - not all iPhone apps support such a thing. Netflix in particular doesn't allow AirPlay, so that could still be an issue.

A bigger issue - Rabkin says Meta is asking Apple for permission. And we all know how much Apple loves giving competitors permission to do anything.

In the Apple Vision Pro Meta has new competition indeed. The headset might be expensive but it's also a mightily impressive bit of kit that's filled with sensors and cameras. Two 4K HDR displays make for some great media viewing as well, although there also isn't a Netflix app for visionOS so it does have some similar problems to the Quest products, too. With that in mind, some have suggested that the Apple Vision Pro should also act as an AirPlay receiver, although the Netflix problem would still persist for reasons mentioned earlier.

The Apple Vision Pro is currently only available in the United States but rumors suggest it could expand to China, Canada, and the United Kingdom within the next few months.