Disney+ is now available on Meta Quest, giving access to Marvel, Pixar, Star Wars and a whole lot more on the VR headset.
The app for big screen viewing, a curved display and local passthrough to select the best conditions for you.
Disney+ has launched on Meta Quest, meaning there's a native app allowing owners to watch the full catalogue of entertainment on Meta's popular VR headset.
Select content will also be presented in Dolby Vision with Dolby Atmos audio, as long as you have a Premium subscription to the streaming service.
The confirmation means that subscribers to Disney+ will be able to watch content from big franchises such as Star Wars, Marvel and Pixar on their headset, for a personalised viewing experience.
It will also be possible to download content to the Quest headset for watching on the move.
The Meta Quest is positioning itself as a personal movie theatre, adding Disney+ to the selection alongside Netflix, YouTube and Prime Video, while Peacock is also offered for live sports content in the US.
Why stream TV and films on a Meta Quest
The advantage of watching using a device like Meta Quest is reduced distractions. It's right there in front of you, so rather than looking at your phone with all the notifications and interruptions that brings, using a headset can lead to a really immersive experience.
Disney+ presents itself in the exact same way as Prime Video, with the ability to enlarge the screen like you're in a personal cinema.
There's the option to view it flat or curved – which looks more immersive – while there's also a slider to adjust the real-world brightness around the screen you're watching on.
A "darker" function makes it more cut-off, while "lighter" is a reminder that you're still sitting at home. I watched a little Thor Ragnarok and while the large screen is great, it's possible to see the pixels, so it's not as sharp as on the best TVs.
Dolby Atmos on Meta Quest?
The audio through the Meta Quest's speakers sounds good too. It's not quite the same as a full Atmos experience at home, but it's definitely entertaining.
The downside of watching through a headset is that some might find it more tiring, because of the weight of the headset and because there's no break for the eyes – it's always on a fixed position, compared to watching on a TV or phone when you'd occasionally look elsewhere, providing some relief from eyestrain.
VR headsets are in a strange place at the moment. Since the first iteration of these devices about a decade ago, they've come back with renewed purpose, with Meta Quest the most successful device out there.
That mostly comes down to longevity and affordability: unlike the Apple Vision Pro that while technically excellent is too heavy and too expensive for most users and the new Galaxy XR which is not widely available (and also too expensive).
It feels like we're on the cusp of another wave of headsets, powered by Android XR that come with the advantage of Gemini AI to allow for a more personalised experience with conversational control, while offering access to a full range of services.
To really capture the attention of the buying public, I think such headsets will need to come down in price to rival the Meta Quest, before people will take them seriously. At the same time, while a range of games and services are available, it's not until we see mass adoption (most likely though platform dominance and affordability) that the developer community will really throw themselves behind the technology.
The addition of Disney+ is welcome and for those with a Meta Quest headset already, this is a great way to catch up with the latest movies.
