Apple and Sony Working on VR Gaming Controller Support for Vision Pro

Apple and Sony are collaborating to bring support for PlayStation VR2 hand controllers to the Vision Pro, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports.

sony vr sense controllers

Sony PlayStation VR2 Sense Controller

Writing in his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman says that the partnership has been in development for several months and would introduce Sony's VR controllers as an optional accessory for Vision Pro users. Gurman notes that PS5 and Xbox controllers are already supported by Vision Pro, but they aren't optimized for virtual reality experiences, lacking the six degrees of freedom (6DOF) needed for precise VR gaming controls.

Given that Sony's VR2 controllers are currently bundled with the PlayStation VR2 headset, Sony would need to begin selling them as standalone accessories, and that would likely happen through Apple's retail and online stores.

Beyond gaming, the controllers could enhance productivity tasks and media editing in visionOS, says Gurman. This would allow users to navigate the operating system using the controller's thumb stick and directional pad for scrolling, while the trigger button could replace the finger pinch gesture for selection.

The timing of the announcement remains uncertain, and the companies have already postponed their initially planned reveal. The partnership comes as Apple faces challenges with Vision Pro adoption, with Gurman reporting that fewer than 500,000 units have been sold since its February launch, according to his sources.

Related Roundup: Apple Vision Pro
Buyer's Guide: Vision Pro (Buy Now)
Related Forum: Apple Vision Pro

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Top Rated Comments

ipedro Avatar
5 days ago at 06:01 am
Apple acquires Sony’s PlayStation Division and Vision Pro would skyrocket. I guess we can settle for a deep partnership. Sony and Apple already work well together on displays.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
CalMin Avatar
5 days ago at 06:37 am
This needs to happen. Plus if we can get something like Valve’s Alyx running on AVP I might even sign up.

I am blessed to be able to afford an AVP but there isn’t a single reason I would buy one yet. We need a killer app, and if that killer app is a game then so be it. I know that’s not not what Apple’s vision is (pun intended) but they need people to buy these things and then developers and innovation will follow.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
godorowski Avatar
5 days ago at 08:56 am
I already have Fleshlight for my Apple Vision Pro.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JCCL Avatar
5 days ago at 06:05 am

Apple buys Sony’s PlayStation Division and VisionPro would skyrocket. I guess we can settle for a deep partnership. Sony and Apple already work well together on displays.
Hope not. Sony is anti-consumer enough as it is.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
terminator-jq Avatar
5 days ago at 08:22 am
Making a pivot to support more VR gaming on AVP would be a great move. Especially right now when VR gaming is seeing some pretty good releases like Batman, Behemoth and Metro. Not to mention other non VR games getting VR support like RE4 remake.

Apple is already in a pretty good position considering their hardware is vastly superior. The displays are far and above almost any consumer level headset and the power of the M2 is leagues ahead of the snapdragon chips in other standalone headsets (especially with the assistance of the R1).

Realistically, Apple could offer some of the highest quality VR gaming we have ever seen. VR controller support is a massive step in the right direction. Now we just need them to convince some 3rd parties to port their titles over.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AlexStudios Avatar
5 days ago at 06:07 am
Finally.


Something good to come out for the Vision Pro.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)