Apple partners with Sony to turn its headset into a gaming console

Apple is turning to the gaming industry to boost its Vision Pro headset’s popularity.

Apple introduced its much-awaited Vision Pro headset at the beginning of this year to mostly positive feedback. However, it didn't become the company's next best thing, mainly because of its hefty price and the struggle to adapt it to everyday use.

For these reasons, the company was reportedly forced to adjust its estimated shipments by almost half.

The situation raised questions about the headset's future, with a study suggesting that Apple could shift its focus to creating a more affordable device – smart glasses.

Nevertheless, this doesn't mean that the company is putting aside all of its Vision Pro plans.

It's been reported that the second-generation headset could be launched in 2027.

When it comes to Apple Vision Pro specs, it's equipped with a Mac-grade M2 chip, providing users with high-quality display and immersive audio technology, something that could offer an advanced gaming experience, notes Bloomberg.

For now, the headset supports Apple Arcade’s gaming service and allows PlayStation 5 and Xbox users to use controllers with the device. Meanwhile, its competitor, Meta, heavily relies on gaming to keep the device relevant.

To shift its headset – which is now mainly used to watch immersive content, communicate, and perform some tasks without having to use a computer – to a gaming device, it would need to work on gaming content and controllers.

Providing users with new games could be challenging as developers might not want to invest in creating something for a device that only a handful of people use. This would leave the ball in Apple's court. However, whether the company would also spend money on alluring developers to create content is unclear.

Another issue the company faces is that its device doesn't support gaming controllers. This might change soon, though, as Apple has been working on supporting third-party hand controllers and is collaborating with Sony.

The companies are now working on launching support for the PlayStation VR2's hand controllers. One obstacle is that Sony doesn't sell its hand controllers as separate accessories. So, the company would have to make it work as a standalone product that could be sold in Apple stores.

The controllers could also be used to navigate the headset, providing more accuracy.

While Apple isn't working on its own controller, the company is reportedly creating a pencil-like device that could be used to control Vision Pro.