Unlike all other VR headsets released in the last half century, Apple‘s Vision Pro was not released with controllers. The company’s iconic “spatial computer” may be about to rectify that mistake, according to a new report that claims Apple is working with none other than Sony’s PlayStation brand on a pair of VR controllers.
The $3,500 Vision Pro won’t work for gaming unless you connect it to a Mac, especially with the latest ultra-wide monitor upgrade. This puts it behind the $500 Meta Quest 3 and even the $300 Quest 3s in terms of gaming capabilities. In his latest PowerOn newsletter, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman claims that Apple is making a “significant effort” to support handheld controllers. Sony’s PlayStation brand appears to be at the top of the list, as Gurman claims through anonymous sources that PlayStation VR2 handheld controllers may soon be compatible with the Vision Pro.
Such an update could make Vision Pro a fully gaming device. It is equipped with the M2 chip, which supposedly means that it should be powerful enough to run a wide range of virtual reality gaming applications. It is also reported that Apple is working with other third-party developers to support the controllers. Each controller will still need to support 6 DoF (degrees of freedom), but this is common to all modern VR controllers.
Apple may announce compatibility of VR2 controllers with Vision Pro in the near future. Gurman reported that Sony and Apple planned to share this news earlier this year. The obvious problem is that Sony doesn’t sell its VR2 controllers separately. This could be another way to capitalize on VR2 stock, even after the headset went on sale last month. Sony has not disclosed specific sales figures for the VR2 headset since its launch last year. However, VR platform developer Max Mustard claimed on Reddit back in October that Sony had shipped about 2 million units.
The Vision Pro may be one of the best VR headsets for people with disabilities at the moment thanks to its eye and hand tracking. Controllers can also allow new ways to select apps without pinching. It can also be used for high-precision control in programs like Final Cut Pro. Gurman mentioned that Apple has tested a stylus-like device for its spatial computer, but it won’t be available until the end of this year.
You can always connect an Xbox or PlayStation controller to the Vision Pro if you want to download the few games and emulators that currently work with the Vision Pro. Apple’s refocus on gaming has resulted in a surprising number of big-budget titles on the App Store, and it seems the company is ready to go beyond its hardware to make games accessible. Last month, the Cupertino tech giant partnered with Corsair to provide gaming keyboards and mice.
I’ve used an Apple headset for a variety of gaming applications, and even without controllers, few games work well with hand gesture controls. Sure, you can play 3D puzzle games like Castle Crumble or Warped Kart Racers with just your hands, but who wants to keep their hands on 10 and 2 on an invisible steering wheel to drive Peter Griffin from Family Guy around a track when you can play Mario Kart 8 with buttons and sticks?
This brings us to the last question. Apple needs to attract game developers to Vision Pro. The Quest catalog will work great on Apple’s M2 platform, but developers need to see a reason to translate their games. That might not be easy considering that, according to Gurman’s sources, Vision Pro has sold “less than half a million” units. That’s not good, considering that sales of the headset dropped back in July.
The Vision Pro’s hand and eye tracking is still the best among the VR headsets we’ve used, but the Quest 3 and 3s are just as good, and they cost half the price of the Vision Pro. The PSVR2 controllers were comfortable and worked as expected for virtual reality gaming. Combined, this could be a powerful combination. Now we just need games to play with it.
