Disney+ to start streaming 3D HFR movies on Apple Vision Pro

Disney+ will soon offer 3D movies like Avatar, Avengers, Star Wars and Elemental on Apple Vision Pro, some of which will be in High Frame Rate (HFR).

In addition to the 3D movies that will be offered through the Apple TV app on Apple Vision Pro, Disney+ will offer 3D titles as part of its normal subscription plan. 3D content will get its own section in the Disney+ app on Apple Vision Pro, and possibly other devices later.

The company said that "dozens" of popular movies will be available in 3D at launch, including Avatar: The Way of Water, Avengers: Endgame, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Elemental, and Encanto. More titles will be announced later, said Disney.


 3D content will get its own section in the Disney+ app on Apple Vision Pro. Video: Disney

In Dolby Vision and High Frame Rate
Disney confirmed that 3D movies are encoded in MV-HEVC (Multiview High Efficiency Video Coding) at 4K resolution and Dolby Vision HDR.

What's more interesting is that some titles will also be available in High Frame Rate (HFR). We take this to mean 48fps, at least for now, as Avatar: The Way of Water already exists in this format – it was released theatrically in 3D 48fps HFR.

- "Using Dolby Vision and Multiview High Efficiency Video Coding (MV-HEVC), 3D movies on Disney+ will deliver exceptional UHD resolution in HDR, unfiltered and independent for each eye, and at a high frame rate for several titles – ensuring that the filmmakers’ creative intent is fully preserved and reflected," explained Disney.

 Also read: HFR – The one UHD technology you rarely hear about


Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars environments
The company said that 2D and 3D movies in the Disney+ app can be viewed in one of four "environments":
The Disney+ Theater, inspired by the historic El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood
The Scare Floor from Pixar’s Monsters Inc.
Marvel's Avengers Tower overlooking downtown Manhattan
The cockpit of Luke Skywalker's landspeeder, facing a binary sunset on the planet Tatooine from the Star Wars galaxy


 The Disney+ environments. Video: Disney

- "Apple Vision Pro is a revolutionary platform that will bring our fans closer to the characters and stories they love while immersing them more deeply in all that Disney has to offer. We’re proud to once again be partnering with Apple to bring extraordinary new Disney experiences to people around the world," said Bob Iger, CEO of The Walt Disney Company.

Each environment includes animations and sounds as well as Easter eggs from films and franchises, teased Disney+. They are developed using the Universal Scene Description (USD) format backed by an alliance of companies, including Pixar, Adobe, Apple, Autodesk, Nvidia, and Unity.


3D support for other devices?
While Disney+ environments be available exclusively on Apple Vision Pro, it sounds as if 3D movies could eventually show up elsewhere. Disney has yet to comment on 3D support for Meta Quest and other devices.

3D movies from Disney will be available on Apple Vision Pro beginning February 2 in the US, and later in other regions.