Apple's Vision Pro arrived with a bold bet that gaze and gesture would be enough, and in the time since, that wager has looked increasingly fragile. Now, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the company may turn to an unexpected ally, Sony, to supply a missing piece: a true controller. It is a quiet admission that even a costly device must sometimes borrow from its rivals to find its footing.
Apple Reportedly Nears Support for Sony PSVR2 Controllers on Vision Pro
A $3,500 headset that shipped without a controller
Mark
So what exactly is being reported here?
Mimi
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman says Apple and Sony may soon announce PSVR2 controller support for the Vision Pro. It would fill a real gap, since the headset has no native controller.
Mark
Why does the missing controller matter so much?
Mimi
Apple bet that gaze and finger gestures would be enough. For games, and for precise selection in apps, many people think that wasn't true.
Luke
Worth being clear that this is one report. Neither company has confirmed anything, and no date exists.
Mark
What details does the report add?
Mimi
That the announcement was planned weeks ago, that Apple has been asking developers if they'd adapt software, and that Sony has spent months working on Vision OS compatibility.
Luke
Those are attributed to Gurman's sourcing. We haven't seen them verified, and the weeks-ago timing raises the question of why it hasn't happened.
Mark
And the idea of Apple selling the controllers?
Mimi
That's conditional. If the deal happens, Apple could sell them itself, which Sony doesn't do, since it sells PSVR2 only as a whole platform.
Luke
Right, and whether that would fix the game catalog is unknown. Developers haven't committed to anything that we know of.
Il Polso
- The Vision Pro's sales have stalled, and its native game library is thin, mostly iPad and iPhone ports that do little to justify the price.
- Apple and Sony reportedly planned to announce a PSVR2 controller partnership weeks ago, and the timing has already slipped.
- Apple is quietly consulting developers on adapting their apps and games to work with PSVR2 controllers, while Sony has reportedly spent months making its hardware compatible with Vision OS.
- No date is set and neither company has confirmed the deal, but if it closes, Apple could sell the controllers itself, something Sony never does with them alone.
Apple's Vision Pro arrived with a bold bet that gaze and gesture would be enough, and in the time since, that wager has looked increasingly fragile. Now, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the company may turn to an unexpected ally, Sony, to supply a missing piece: a true controller. It is a quiet admission that even a costly device must sometimes borrow from its rivals to find its footing.
Apple's Vision Pro has been on sale long enough for its weak points to be clear, and the most obvious is that it ships without a controller. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman now reports that the gap may be filled with help from Sony, which would bring support for its PSVR2 controllers to the headset.
The Vision Pro launched at $3,500 and has struggled to find buyers. Apple has not abandoned it, though, since the device is seen as central to the company's longer-term plans and Vision OS remains the foundation for what comes next.
Gaming has been one of the clearest shortfalls. Many expected immersive games to define the device, yet the native catalog remains small, dominated by iPad and iPhone titles. Apple's bet that gaze and finger gestures would suffice now looks doubtful to many, and anyone wanting a real controller has had to buy one elsewhere.
According to Gurman, the two companies had planned an announcement weeks ago, and Apple has been asking developers whether they would adapt their work to the PSVR2 controllers. Sony has reportedly spent months preparing its hardware for Vision OS. If the deal is finalized, Apple could sell the controllers directly, a departure from Sony's habit of offering them only as part of the full PSVR2 platform.
The controllers could also help beyond games, offering more precise menu navigation for professional design and editing tools. For now, no date has been announced and neither company has confirmed anything. What matters next is whether an announcement comes and whether developers commit to building for the hardware.
Apple's Vision Pro has been on sale long enough for its shortcomings to be well understood, and one of the biggest is that it ships without a controller. According to a report from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, that may be about to change, with help from an unlikely partner: Sony, which would supply support for its PSVR2 controllers.
The Vision Pro launched at $3,500, and it has not been a hit with buyers. Apple has not walked away from the product, though. The headset is widely seen as playing a role in the company's longer-term plans, and Vision OS, the software running it, is the foundation for whatever comes next.
Gaming is one place where that software has been thin. Many people assumed immersive games would be a major use when Apple introduced the device. Even now, the catalog of native games is limited. Most of what is available consists of iPad and iPhone titles, which hardly justify buying an expensive headset to play.
Part of the problem is how Apple designed the thing. The company bet that navigating by gaze and finger gestures would be enough for everything the headset could do. That confidence looks misplaced to many observers, particularly in a product this costly. Anyone who wants a dedicated controller has had to look elsewhere and spend more.
Gurman's report says Apple and Sony had planned to announce a partnership weeks ago. Apple has also been sounding out developers on whether they would adapt their apps and games to work with the PSVR2 controllers. On Sony's side, the company has reportedly spent months adapting the controllers to work with Vision OS.
If the arrangement is finalized, Apple could begin selling the controllers itself. That would be notable, because Sony does not sell them on their own; it offers PSVR2 only as a complete platform.
The benefits might extend beyond games. Because the controllers were designed specifically for VR environments, they could make menu navigation and option selection in Vision OS apps more precise. That could help people using professional design and editing software. Reports also indicate Apple has indefinitely paused development of a Vision Pro 2 while it works on a more affordable model, so controller support could carry over to future Vision OS devices as well.
No date has been given for when support might arrive, and neither company has confirmed the arrangement. For now, the thing to watch is whether Apple and Sony make an announcement, and whether developers commit to building for the controllers.
Citazioni salienti
Apple and Sony planned to announce the partnership weeks ago, and Apple has consulted developers about adapting apps to the controllers.— Mark Gurman, Bloomberg (as reported by Android Headlines)
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