Tech giants, Apple are reportedly in talks to cement a strategic collaboration with PlayStation’s VR2 controllers. The partnership is purported to unleash the Apple Vision Pro’s full capabilities in order to drive its market shares, an endeavour the company has been at for a while.
Recall after the Vision Pro’s launch in February 2024, the product immediately came under intense criticism. Several sources reported the Vision Pro to be “stunted”’ on arrival after Apple cut its sales projections to nearly half the original number. This measure reportedly cost the company over $1.4 billion within the first five months.
Now, with solid reports coming out of Bloomberg, the two are set to lock in with a deal that seems mutually beneficial. While Apple will be looking to make the Vision Pro more attractive to gamers, PlayStation will be getting cutting-edge VR tech with its controllers.
Many tech media outlets have commented on the collaboration, describing it as a way for Apple to change the narrative for the Apple Vision Pro. General perception is that the Apple Vision was pitched as some sort of media consumption device, rather than a gamer’s gadget. A conception that apparently needs correcting.
According to Gurman, less than half a million units of the device have been sold thus far. As such, it might have become apparent that Apple needs gamers to expand the Vision Pro’s utility and audience. While the product itself has been impressive, it has struggled to pull massive consumer traction.
In an effort to clear the air about the exact orientation of the product, Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO told the Wall Street Journal that the first batch wasn’t necessarily meant to achieve far and wide reach. In his exact words; “At $3,500, it’s not a mass-market product. Right now, it’s an early-adopter product.”
Before confirmatory news, reports were that Apple and Sony Group were in talks and approaching an official announcement several weeks ago. Now, the intentions between these two tech giants are no longer breaking news.
Mike Rockwell, Apple’s Technology Development Group’s – “Creating the Vision Pro required invention across nearly every facet of the system,” resulting in “the most advanced personal electronics device ever.”
In addition to seeking an agreement with Sony, Apple reportedly has also been talking to video game developers, inquiring into whether they’d support the Apple Vision Pro controllers in their games. From where we stand, everything points towards Apple taking solid steps to incorporate the VPro into the modern gaming culture.
From here onwards, everything is left to anticipation, as we gear towards a significant step in Virtual Reality gaming. Would this integration turn out to be something exciting for the gaming community in general?
Fun Fact: The Apple’s Vision Pro’s advanced eye-tracking technology enables precise navigation without users touching anything. By detecting where you’re looking, the Vision Pro allows users to highlight objects, select options, and scroll content effortlessly, making interactions intuitive and revolutionizing the way people engage with augmented reality environments.
What This Means for Virtual Reality Gaming
In the event of an integration between the Apple VPro and Sony’s PlayStation VR2s, VR gamers can once again get their hopes up. These two technologies, in a well-strategized unison, will be the kind of thing that redefines the possibilities of Virtual Reality gaming.
The Apple Vision Pro’s signature motions like pinching and swiping, while amazing, are not ideal for competitive gaming. However in conjunction with Sony’s PlayStation VR controllers with six degrees of freedom, the Vision Pro could get some real VR gaming use cases.
This advent could immensely benefit growing virtual gaming concepts like immersive eSports, virtual casinos, etc. Speaking of casinos,if you like to gamble, there are readily available resources to explore the best sites for high payouts in Canada, being a leading region in casino gaming innovation.
Here’s a rundown of some very popular VR games that could elevate their gaming experience with the pairing of the PS VR2s and the VPro.
- No Man’s Sky VR
- Half-Life: Alyx
- Beat Saber
- Resident Evil Village VR
Albert Fox Cahn, Technology Ethicist – “I thought augmented reality would bring about utopia. Now it scares the hell out of me,” highlighting potential privacy and surveillance issues.”
In the end, all VR gaming tech is already in an era where boundaries are being pushed and a sync between PS VR2 controllers and the Apple VPro might just be as exciting as we anticipate.
Fun Fact: The PlayStation VR2 controllers can detect where your fingers naturally rest, even without pressing buttons. This finger touch detection allows for realistic hand gestures, such as pointing or gripping, giving players a more natural and intuitive way to interact with virtual environments.