What’s happened? If you’re a proud Vision Pro owner, Apple has just announced an update that could make you spend more time with it — the arrival of live NBA games.
- That’s right. Apple will stream select Los Angeles Lakers games live on the Vision Pro starting early 2026 via the NBA and the Spectrum SportsNet app (on visionOS 26 or later); the schedule should be out by the end of the year (via TechRadar).
- The tech giant will package these games for its mixed reality headset using the Blackmagic URSA Cine Immersive cameras.
- They’ll be placed courtside and under each basket to provide unique and immersive perspectives, allowing viewers to feel as if they’re right in the middle of the game.
Why is this important? Meta Quest, the Vision Pro’s closest rival, has already streamed multiple live NBA games via the Xtadium and NBA Arena app. Most recently, the XR app for Quest also started offering an immersive live coverage of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 in the United States. However, Apple Vision Pro, which costs much more, is just catching up.
- This is the first time that a live sports event will be packaged and delivered in the Apple Immersive video format for the Vision Pro. Previously, only concerts and short films were available in the format.
- This is a crucial development for the Vision Pro mixed-reality headset, addressing the scarcity of content — a key issue in justifying the ultra-premium price tag and tapping into a massive NBA fanbase.
Why should I care? If you’re an NBA fan, and more importantly, a Lakers fan, and you happen to have the Vision Pro lying around somewhere in your closet, this could be a good chance to make the headset pay for itself. The arrival of NBA games could mark the beginning of a broader trend of immersive live sports on the Vision Pro (you might not have to sell your headset after all).
OK, what’s next? The arrival of the more affordable Vision Pro (it has been on the cards for quite a while) could make live sports even more successful for Apple. However, for now, Vision Pro users can look upon the announcement (and wait for the schedule) as a silver lining.
