Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Gaming
  3. News

Apple Vision Pro will support DualSense controller and over 100 Apple Arcade games

Tomas Franzese
By

The new Apple Vision Pro headset can be a gaming device thanks to DualSense functionality and support for lots of Apple Arcade titles.

A person plays a game on the Apple Vision Pro.
Apple

We learned this while Apple was giving an overview of the Vision Pro’s entertainment possibilities during the device’s WWDC 2023 reveal. We saw footage of a person playing NBA 2K23 Arcade Edition with a DualSense controller while wearing the headset. The game appeared in its own dedicated flat window within the surrounding environment, so these aren’t fully immersive dedicated VR games; it’s more like playing normal PS5 games on your PlayStation VR2. The game will have some interactive 3D spatial apps, however, so those kinds of games certainly seem possible. A Unity partnership should also allow more games using that engine to come to Vision Pro. 

During this segment, Apple did confirm that over 100 Apple Arcade games will be playable on Vision Pro, but NBA 2K23 Arcade Edition is currently the only title that has been outright confirmed for the headset. I’d love to see games like Fantasian and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate get Vision Pro support. We also don’t know if Vision Pro will support any Bluetooth controllers other than Sony’s DualSense; hopefully, it’ll have the same controller compatibility as normal iPhone and Mac devices. Considering that the Vision Pro intentionally does not have a dedicated controller, that would definitely be a useful feature. 

Outside of that, gaming didn’t have too much of a presence during Apple’s Vision Pro reveal. Apple did tease that this is “only the start” of gaming’s presence on the device, suggesting that more video game experiences are in store for Vision Pro as the platform evolves over time. Gaming on Mac is evolving too, as that platform just got a dedicated game mode and will welcome Death Stranding: Director’s Cut in the future. 

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Tomas Franzese
Tomas Franzese
Gaming Staff Writer
Tomas Franzese is a Staff Writer at Digital Trends, where he reports on and reviews the latest releases and exciting…
Apple Arcade adds over 30 new games in its biggest expansion ever
Fantasian

Apple Arcade got a surprise update bringing 30 new games to the platform. The update brings much-anticipated games like Fantasian to the platform, as well as mobile classics.

The update is a significant overhaul for Apple's gaming subscription service. Apple's strategy initially revolved around launching new, original games on the platform. The new additions bring the service's collection of games up past 180.

Read more
Want to play this winter’s best games? They’re on Apple Arcade
South of the Circle

Apple Arcade hasn’t exactly been a game-changer for the video game industry. Apple’s mobile subscription service got a big initial push when it launched in 2019, but it has since faded out of public discourse while services like Xbox Game Pass are the talk of the town.

While it may not generate a lot of mainstream attention these days, Apple Arcade has only gotten better in the past few months. In fact, some of this winter’s most inventive games are only a few taps away … as long as you know they’re there.
Hidden gems
In general, 2020 proved to be a strong year for the platform, even if players weren’t paying attention. Creative indies like Necrobarista and Creaks launched on the service, strengthening its ever-growing library of niche hits.

Read more
PS5’s DualSense controller is changing how games are made in one surprising way
The Dualsense Controller lying on a table.

Now that the launch day smoke has cleared, it’s clear that PlayStation 5’s DualSense controller is the most exciting part of this new generation of consoles. Sony’s latest gamepad features haptic feedback and adaptive triggers that go well beyond an average rumble. The DualSense doesn’t just alter how we play games -- it’s changing how they’re actually made.

Playing is believing when it comes to the DualSense, and no game showcases that better than Astro’s Playroom, a free PlayStation 5 pack-in game designed around the controller. Throughout the charming platformer, the haptic feedback simulates footsteps, raindrops, and more with almost eerie precision. Everything physically feels exactly like I expected it to, leaving me to wonder how the developers were able to pull off such pinpoint precision.

Read more