- The Apple Vision Pro could soon support Sony's PSVR 2 controllers
- Apple and Sony are currently in talks to make it happen, rumors suggest
- The benefits could go beyond gaming and and include visionOS apps
The Apple Vision Pro hasn't really taken off in the way the tech giant had hoped, and one reason could be its lackluster gaming support. Right now, you must control games with just your hands and in-air gestures, which is far from ideal in titles where precision and accuracy are key.
That could all change in the near future, though, as Apple is reportedly in talks with Sony to make its PlayStation VR2 controllers compatible with the Vision Pro. That would give Apple fans a much better way to interact with games while using the advanced virtual reality (VR) headset.
In his weekly Power On newsletter, Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman has claimed that Apple and Sony are currently in talks to bring the PlayStation VR2 controllers to the Vision Pro. The two companies originally planned to announce the deal “weeks ago,” Gurman says, but the rollout has reportedly been postponed for the time being.
If Vision Pro users are able to connect Sony’s PlayStation VR2 controllers to Apple’s headset, it could finally help the Vision Pro compete with some of the best VR headsets on the market in terms of gaming features. That could fix a major weakness currently facing Apple’s flagship device.
Benefits beyond gaming
It’s not just Sony that Apple is in talks with – Gurman also states that Apple has spoken with game developers about integrating support for Sony’s controllers into their Vision Pro games.
Many games made for Apple’s headset already support standard PlayStation and Xbox controllers, but these devices are designed for living room gaming, not VR headsets. Adding compatibility with the PlayStation VR2 controllers, on the other hand, would add a much more VR-friendly option for gamers.
The benefits of adding hand controller support could be felt beyond gaming. Thanks to the increased accuracy that these controllers bring, anyone doing precise work using the Vision Pro headset – such as editing photos and videos – would benefit from the new control method. And Gurman says Sony’s controllers could also be used to navigate Apple’s visionOS operating system, which some users might prefer to Apple’s current eye- and hand-tracking method.
Funnily enough, Sony recently announced that the PlayStation VR2 would be getting support for hand tracking, presenting a sort of mirror image of what’s apparently happening with the Vision Pro.
Sony has never sold the PlayStation VR2 controllers as standalone units, and they have always been included with the PlayStation VR2 headset. That means Sony would need to start producing and packaging them on their own, but Gurman believes this is only a “hiccup” in the process rather than a major issue.
With work apparently well underway on bringing Sony’s controllers to the Vision Pro, we could soon see a solution to one of the main problems holding Apple’s headset back. Whether it’s enough to turn it into a mainstream success, though, remains to be seen.
