Apple and Sony are collaborating to bring support for PlayStation VR2 hand controllers to the Vision Pro, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports.
Writing in his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman says that the partnership has been in development for several months and would introduce Sony's VR controllers as an optional accessory for Vision Pro users. Gurman notes that PS5 and Xbox controllers are already supported by Vision Pro, but they aren't optimized for virtual reality experiences, lacking the six degrees of freedom (6DOF) needed for precise VR gaming controls.
Given that Sony's VR2 controllers are currently bundled with the PlayStation VR2 headset, Sony would need to begin selling them as standalone accessories, and that would likely happen through Apple's retail and online stores.
Beyond gaming, the controllers could enhance productivity tasks and media editing in visionOS, says Gurman. This would allow users to navigate the operating system using the controller's thumb stick and directional pad for scrolling, while the trigger button could replace the finger pinch gesture for selection.
The timing of the announcement remains uncertain, and the companies have already postponed their initially planned reveal. The partnership comes as Apple faces challenges with Vision Pro adoption, with Gurman reporting that fewer than 500,000 units have been sold since its February launch, according to his sources.
Top Rated Comments
I am blessed to be able to afford an AVP but there isn’t a single reason I would buy one yet. We need a killer app, and if that killer app is a game then so be it. I know that’s not not what Apple’s vision is (pun intended) but they need people to buy these things and then developers and innovation will follow.
Apple is already in a pretty good position considering their hardware is vastly superior. The displays are far and above almost any consumer level headset and the power of the M2 is leagues ahead of the snapdragon chips in other standalone headsets (especially with the assistance of the R1).
Realistically, Apple could offer some of the highest quality VR gaming we have ever seen. VR controller support is a massive step in the right direction. Now we just need them to convince some 3rd parties to port their titles over.
Something good to come out for the Vision Pro.