Apple Vision Pro Could Support PlayStation VR2 Controller: Will It Work?

1 week ago

Last Updated:December 10, 2024, 14:42 IST

Apple Vision Pro already supports the other Sony controllers but the VR 2 model will bring a different experience.

Apple's headset already supports PS 5 controller

Apple and Sony could team up for a unique situation which could have a big impact on the sale of the premium Vision Pro headset. The company could support third-party game controller from the PlayStation VR series to enhance its gaming headset and experience. Mark Gurman of Bloomberg claims that Apple and Sony are collaborating to enable the use of third-party VR hand controllers with the Vision Pro. It is anticipated that the controllers would improve productivity tasks like media editing in VisionOS in addition to gaming.

However, the pitching date for the partnership has not been announced so far. Currently, Xbox and PlayStation 5 controllers are compatible with Apple Vision Pro.

Gurman says that Vision Pro will soon be compatible with Sony PlayStation VR2 Sense controllers in the most recent edition of his Power On newsletter. He claims Apple reached out to Sony for this partnership earlier this year. “Inside Sony, the work has been a months-long undertaking," he said.

According to Gurman, Apple has asked outside developers to include compatibility for the PlayStation VR2 controller in their games as part of the strategy. Gurman stated that Apple and Sony had originally intended to declare support for the controllers “weeks ago," but they decided to delay the rollout.

The controllers could explore visionOS and provide precise control in applications like Adobe Photoshop and Final Cut Pro in addition to playing VR games. Apple’s retail locations and online stores are anticipated to carry the PlayStation VR2 controllers.

It has been reported that Apple has a “wand" prototype for the Vision Pro. This would be less of a gaming tool and more of a precision control tool akin to the Apple Pencil. Although PS5 and Xbox controllers are now supported by Vision Pro, they do not have the six degrees of freedom (6DOF) required for accurate controls in virtual reality gaming.

Vision Pro, Apple’s first mixed-reality headset, was revealed at WWDC 2023. It is now available for purchase in a few nations, including the US, China, Europe, and Japan, and it costs $3,499 (about Rs. 2,90,000) at launch.

Operating on the visionOS operating system, the headset is compatible with both augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) technologies. Storage versions of 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB are offered. The gadget features an R1 chip inside and is powered by Apple’s M2 CPU.