Summary
A new report alleges that Apple andSonyhave inked a deal to make the PlayStation VR2’s Sense controllers compatible with the Vision Pro headset. This partnership could be a sizable step forward for gaming on the Apple Vision Pro, but it might requireSonyto make a big modification to the PS VR2’s supply chain.
The Apple Vision Pro has struggled to pick up steam among VR/AR enthusiasts since its launch in February 2024, with reportedly fewer than 500,000 units of the mixed reality headset sold so far. Some of the biggest reasons behind theVision Pro’s slow adoption are its incredibly high price pointand somewhat limited utility for everyday tasks, such as gaming. Speaking of which, Sony’s gaming-centric PS VR2 headset hasn’t set the sales charts ablaze either. The company employed numerous strategies to drive PS VR2 adoption, such as regular price cuts and PC compatibility, but consumer interest has yet to spike in a meaningful way.
With both companies' VR/AR ventures facing stagnation,Bloomberg reportsthat Apple and Sony may have teamed up to bring PS VR2 Sense controller compatibility to the Vision Pro. The deal was supposedly signed a few months ago, and Sony has apparently dedicated over a month to ensuring compatibility between the PS VR2’s Sense controllers and the Vision Pro. Meanwhile, Apple has actively been reaching out to developers and urging them to update their Vision Pro games to support the new functionality. While theVision Pro wasn’t made with gaming in mind, the headset does support the PS5’s DualSense and Xbox controllers.
The PS VR2’s Sense Controllers May Turn Out One of the Most Useful Vision Pro Accessories
However, these controllers lack the advanced motion tracking necessary for an immersive VR experience, which is where the PS VR2’s Sense controllers come in. ThePS VR2 controllers offer six degrees of freedom(6DOF), making them ideal for precise movement and interactions in VR apps, and subsequently a good match for the Apple Vision Pro. There is one potential snag here, though, and it has to do with Sony selling the Sense controllers exclusively with the headset. Should the deal with Apple go through, Sony will likely have tooffer the PS VR2’s Sense controllers as standalone accessoriesto make them compelling enough for Vision Pro users to purchase. Apple could even incorporate the PS VR2 controllers into its product distribution pipeline and sell them through its retail and online stores.
Neither Apple nor Sony have made any statements about this alleged deal at the time of writing, so it remains to be seen if the partnership is indeed in play behind the scenes. However, given that Sony hasexpanded PS VR2 to PC, it doesn’t seem too unreasonable that the company may be looking at bringing the headset to more platforms. For Apple, the integration of PS VR2 controllers for the Vision Pro could provide a much-needed boost to the latter’s functionality when it comes to gaming, media editing, and more.
