Key Takeaways
- Apple and Sony are reportedly working on making the Vision Pro headset compatible with the PlayStation VR2’s Sense controllers.
- The PS VR2 controllers offer six degrees of freedom for precise VR interactions, making them a far more useful gaming accessory than traditional controllers for the Vision Pro.
- Sony currently sells the PS VR2 controllers exclusively with the headset, but this may change as part of the rumored Apple Vision Pro compatibility deal.
A new report alleges that Apple and Sony have 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 require Sony to 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 the Vision Pro’s slow adoption are its incredibly high price point and 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.
Related
Some Retailers Are Cutting the Price of the PS VR2
Players in one major region can grab the PlayStation VR2 at substantially discounted prices ahead of the headset’s launch on PC.
With both companies’ VR/AR ventures facing stagnation, Bloomberg reports that 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 the Vision 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. The PS 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 to offer the PS VR2’s Sense controllers as standalone accessories to 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 has expanded 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.
