Apple Vision Pro May Get PlayStation VR Controller Support
Apple and Sony may bring PlayStation VR2 controller support to the Vision Pro, according to a report from Bloomberg on Sunday.
The two companies had planned to announce the partnership weeks ago, but it’s been delayed for unknown reasons. If the plan goes through, Apple will sell the PS VR2 controller as an optional accessory for the Vision Pro in its stores.
A key reason for the collaboration may be the Vision Pro’s underperformance as a gaming device. The headset supports your hands pinching and swiping, but that’s not ideal for competitive gaming. Xbox and PS5 controllers can be connected, but they aren’t optimized for virtual reality. VR controllers with six degrees of freedom (6DOF), like Sony’s VR controllers, could give the Vision Pro a real VR gaming use case.
Apple approached Sony with the idea of adding VR controller support earlier this year, according to the report. The two companies have been working on it for months. Apple even asked third-party visionOS developers if they would add support for the VR2 controller to their games. But as of right now, the rollout isn’t guaranteed and while it could go live—it could be shelved at the last minute.
The potential plans come at a time when Apple is struggling to sell the Vision Pro. Since the product rolled out in February, less than half a million units have been sold. This may be due to the device’s high price tag of $3,500. We also found the headset to be front-heavy and lacking a long battery life in our internal testing.
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On the Vision Pro, the benefits of third-party VR controller support could extend beyond gaming. These controllers could also enable more precise movements in media editing apps like Final Cut Pro. The VR2’s thumb stick and directional pad could be used for scrolling, and the trigger button could replace a finger pinch. These new abilities could be enabled as part of a future visionOS software update.
But to truly compete in the gaming space, the Vision Pro also needs more games. Until then, however, there are some other apps and cool things you can do with Apple’s headset.
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About Jibin Joseph
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