You would think that Apple’s Vision Pro headset would be the perfect platform for virtual reality (VR) gaming. After all, it has a top-notch processor, super-high-resolution displays, and both VR and augmented reality (AR) capabilities. In theory, that should make it a leading device for gamers.
The reality is, unfortunately, very different, with few popular gaming titles making it onto visionOS. And really, Apple’s headset is held back by one key weakness: its lack of proper VR controller support.
Sure, it works with console controllers made for the Xbox and PlayStation, but these are ill-suited to games that are designed with VR in mind. And let’s not get started on the other way of operating visionOS — with your fingers — which is only really fit for a very limited set of games.
So what’s the solution? Well, we’ve heard before that Apple is working with Sony to bring PlayStation VR2 controllers to the headset. Now, though, it looks like Apple is pushing ahead with its own design, at least according to a recent patent application dubbed Handheld Input Devices.
This depicts a Nintendo Wii-style stick controller for the Vision Pro. While the patent doesn’t specifically declare that it’s made for gaming — it barely discusses gaming at all, in fact — it’s hard to imagine it having many other uses.
And while it’s unlikely that this is the controller’s final design (as Apple likely wouldn’t spill the beans on that in a patent application), what it does tell us is that Apple is thinking about ways to make the Vision Pro a better gaming device. And that’s important.
Getting serious about gaming
The patent doesn’t tell us too much about how the controller will actually work and what it will look like, but it does show us how seriously Apple is taking gaming these days.
Let’s not forget that we’ve all seen the impressive gaming advances on the Mac. Most modern Macs are equipped with powerful Apple silicon chips that are far more adept at gaming than many people are used to seeing from Apple. The company has been working hard on bringing support for AAA games to macOS (see Cyberpunk 2077 being announced late last year), while it’s also been adding dedicated gaming features like Game Mode to the Mac.
Now, that thinking appears to be translating across to the Vision Pro. But it doesn’t just seem like a token effort from Apple — no, the patent actually tells us quite a bit about the company’s attitude towards gaming.
Think about it this way. Apple working with a company like Sony to expand support for existing controllers is one thing, but going it alone suggests that Apple is really investing in the idea of gaming on the Vision Pro. After all, it takes a lot more resources to design and build your own controller than to work with an established gaming company like Sony that can share the load with you.
To me, that suggests not only that Apple wants to have more, uhh, control over its controller, but that it’s willing to take risks and pour more resources into the idea. If you’ve been hoping gaming improvements will come to the Vision Pro, that’s an encouraging sign.
That said, we don’t know when or even if this controller will become a reality — it’s just a patent application for now, and Apple might simply be exploring ideas without any intention to ever build a Vision Pro controller. But the fact that we know Apple is at least considering it is welcome news for gamers.
Now Apple just needs to chip away at the longstanding issue of getting more games onto the Vision Pro. And if it’s to stand any chance of doing that, a dedicated VR controller is a good place to start.
