Sony has reportedly struck an interesting deal with Apple

Key insights

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 could change as part of the rumored Apple Vision Pro compatibility deal.

A new report claims that Apple and Sony have signed a deal to make the PlayStation VR2's Sense controllers compatible with the Vision Pro headset. This partnership could be a significant step forward for gaming on the Apple Vision Pro, but may require a major change from Sony to the PS VR2 supply chain.

The Apple Vision Pro has struggled to gain traction with VR/AR enthusiasts since its launch in February 2024. According to reports, fewer than 500,000 units of the mixed reality headset have been sold so far. Some of the main reasons for the Vision Pro's slow adoption are its incredibly high price and somewhat limited usefulness for everyday tasks like gaming. Speaking of which, Sony's gaming-focused PS VR2 headset hasn't rocked the sales charts either. The company has pursued numerous strategies to drive PS VR2 adoption, such as regular price cuts and PC compatibility, but consumer interest has not yet increased to any significant extent.

Some retailers are reducing the price of the PS VR2

Players in a major region can get the PlayStation VR2 at significantly reduced prices ahead of the headset's release on PC.

With both companies' VR/AR projects 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 reportedly signed a few months ago and Sony has apparently spent over a month ensuring compatibility between the PS VR2's Sense controllers and the Vision Pro. Meanwhile, Apple has been actively reaching out to developers, encouraging them to update their Vision Pro games to support the new functionality. Although the Vision Pro isn't designed for gaming, the headset supports the PS5's DualSense and Xbox controllers.

The PS VR2's Sense controllers could prove to be one of the most useful Vision Pro accessories

However, these controllers lack the advanced motion tracking required for an immersive VR experience. This is where the PS VR2 Sense controllers come into play. The PS VR2 controllers offer six degrees of freedom (6DOF), making them ideal for precise movements and interactions in VR apps and therefore a good complement to the Apple Vision Pro. There's a potential catch here, however, and it has to do with the fact that Sony only sells the Sense controllers with the headset. If the deal with Apple goes through, Sony will likely have to do so offer the Sense controllers of the PS VR2 as an independent accessory to make them attractive enough for Vision Pro users to purchase. Apple could even integrate the PS VR2 controllers into its product sales pipeline and sell them through its retail and online stores.

Neither Apple nor Sony have commented on this alleged deal at the time of writing, so it remains to be seen whether the partnership is actually in play behind the scenes. However, given that Sony has expanded PS VR2 to PC, it doesn't seem too unreasonable for the company to consider bringing the headset to additional 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.

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