It’s been almost a year since Apple announced Spatial Audio features for AirPods, however these were limited to content on Apple TV + and more recently Apple Music. However, it is now confirmed that a great platform like Netflix will add to the compatibility of this function. Here are more details.
Requirements that will be essential
Apple is not the only company that offers headphones with the possibility of having surround sound of this type, since for example Sony also offers something similar with 360 Reality Audio, but since Spatial Audio belongs to Californians, it makes limit yourself to your devices only. Therefore, it will be necessary to have an iPhone or iPad , as well as AirPods Pro or AirPods Max.
We do not know if over time this function will also reach Mac computers and Apple TVs, but at least today it will only be on the aforementioned devices. In addition, these may be in iOS / iPadOS 14 or iOS / iPadOS 15 , so there will not be too much limitation at the software level.
When will Netflix launch this functionality?
It must be said that Netflix has not officially announced this functionality because it is currently in testing. It has been confirmed by media such as MacRumors, who claim that a spokesperson for the streaming platform confirms this upcoming launch. And although no one has ventured to give dates, the truth is that it does not seem that it will take too long.
Enabling Spatial Audio in the Netflix app will work identically to how it does in the Apple TV app. In other words, you just have to open the Control Center on iPhone or iPad, select the volume bar in which the AirPods appear and make sure that the Spatial Audio option is activated, also finding here other controls of the headphones themselves such as Noise Cancellation.
Opening the door to other platforms
And beyond the great importance that Netflix has to incorporate a function like this, being also one of the main streaming platforms in the world, the truth is that this news has an even greater impact than it might seem a priori. And it is that it opens the door for other streaming or audio playback applications to incorporate similar functionalities in the future.
At the moment there is no news that other services are interested in incorporating this function or that Apple is negotiating with them, although surely some will end up adding once the ban on third-party apps is opened. It remains to be seen if platforms as important as Spotify end up incorporating it, since this case could be special due to the legal battle that Apple is experiencing with this company in the European Union. Be that as it may, we will remain attentive to any new data that may shed a little more light on the subject.
