TL;DR
- Apple is reportedly working with Sony to bring PlayStation VR 2 controller support to the Vision Pro headset.
- Apple has also apparently asked third-party Vision Pro developers to add PSVR 2 controller support to their games.
- It’s believed that an announcement was due weeks ago, but that it’s been postponed for now.
Apple launched the Vision Pro headset early in 2024, delivering arguably the most advanced XR experience in the market. Unfortunately, the company hasn’t released its own dedicated VR controllers for the platform, but that’s where Sony might come in.
Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman reported in his Power On newsletter that Apple and Sony are working to support the PlayStation VR 2’s hand controllers in the Vision Pro. It’s believed that Apple approached Sony to kickstart this effort. Furthermore, Gurman asserts that the iPhone maker has asked third-party developers to add PSVR2 controller support to their games.
The journalist suggested that these controllers could also be used for tasks like media editing and productivity, owing to their more precise inputs compared to the Vision Pro’s hand- and eye-tracking. In fact, the two companies have apparently added support for system navigation, using the PSVR 2 controller’s analog stick and D-pad for scrolling while the trigger button is tipped to replace the finger pinch gesture.
What about an announcement date for this support? It’s believed that Apple and Sony were going to make an announcement “weeks ago” but have postponed it. Nevertheless, the PSVR 2 controllers are expected to be available via Apple’s website and online stores.
This is an interesting turn of events and should help make the Vision Pro a more versatile XR platform. Nevertheless, between the lack of games and the Vision Pro’s extremely high price tag, I highly doubt that this will change the headset’s short-term fortunes. But here’s hoping we eventually see a much cheaper headset that benefits from this support.
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