Apple Partners with Sony to Enhance Vision Pro Sales by Integrating PlayStation 5 VR2 Controller Support

Recent reports indicate that Apple has achieved sales of only 500,000 units of the Vision Pro since its debut in February. Acknowledging this performance, the tech giant is reportedly exploring new avenues to enhance the utility of the Vision Pro headset by potentially collaborating with Sony to integrate support for its VR gaming controllers. This partnership has been in development for several months, with plans for Sony’s controllers to be offered as optional accessories for the Vision Pro users.

Collaboration Between Apple and Sony: A Focus on Gaming

The latest insights come from Mark Gurman’s recent Power On newsletter, where he noted Apple’s initiative to broaden the accessory compatibility for the Vision Pro, including support for Sony’s VR controllers. He highlighted that while Apple’s current offerings support PlayStation 5 and Xbox controllers, these do not deliver an optimized experience for augmented reality and may hinder natural user inputs. In contrast, Sony’s VR controller is specifically engineered to enhance mixed-reality experiences, aligning seamlessly with the Vision Pro’s capabilities.

Enhancing VR Capabilities

A notable limitation of the PlayStation and Xbox controllers is their lack of six degrees of freedom (6DOF), which are essential for precision in VR gaming. Should the collaboration go forward, Sony may need to make adjustments to its controller offerings. The PlayStation VR2 controller is currently packaged with its corresponding headset, meaning that if Apple is to provide these controllers, they would likely be sold directly through Apple’s online and physical retail stores, possibly requiring Sony to offer the VR2 headset separately.

Vision Pro as a Versatile Device

This potential collaboration raises intriguing questions about Apple’s ambitions for the Vision Pro. Industry analysts suggest that positioning the headset as a dedicated gaming device could be beneficial. In addition to gaming, the integration of the PlayStation VR2 controller may enrich the headset’s functionality for productivity tasks and media editing within visionOS, as noted by Gurman. Consequently, users could find navigating the operating system simpler with enhanced controls, utilizing the thumbsticks and directional pads, while replacing traditional finger pinch gestures with trigger buttons.

Looking Ahead: The Future of Vision Pro

As of now, it remains uncertain whether Apple and Sony have finalized their partnership, and if confirmed, no information has been disclosed regarding the timeline for controller support. By potentially embracing PlayStation VR2 controller compatibility, Apple could significantly broaden the Vision Pro’s appeal to a diverse user base. Stay tuned for further updates on this developing story.

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