You’ll suppose that Apple’s Imaginative and prescient Professional headset can be the proper platform for digital actuality (VR) gaming. In any case, it has a top-notch processor, super-high-resolution shows, and each VR and augmented actuality (AR) capabilities. In idea, that ought to make it a number one system for avid gamers.
The fact is, sadly, very completely different, with few standard gaming titles making it onto visionOS. And actually, Apple’s headset is held again by one key weak spot: its lack of correct VR controller help.
Certain, it really works with console controllers made for the Xbox and PlayStation, however these are ill-suited to video games which can be designed with VR in thoughts. And let’s not get began on the opposite manner of working visionOS — together with your fingers — which is just actually match for a really restricted set of video games.
So what’s the answer? Nicely, we’ve heard earlier than that Apple is working with Sony to carry PlayStation VR2 controllers to the headset. Now, although, it seems like Apple is pushing forward with its personal design, at the very least in keeping with a latest patent software dubbed Handheld Enter Units.
This depicts a Nintendo Wii-style stick controller for the Imaginative and prescient Professional. Whereas the patent doesn’t particularly declare that it’s made for gaming — it barely discusses gaming in any respect, in reality — it’s laborious to think about it having many different makes use of.
And whereas it’s unlikely that that is the controller’s closing design (as Apple doubtless wouldn’t spill the beans on that in a patent software), what it does inform us is that Apple is considering methods to make the Imaginative and prescient Professional a greater gaming system. And that’s essential.
Getting severe about gaming
The patent doesn’t inform us an excessive amount of about how the controller will really work and what it’s going to appear like, however it does present us how significantly Apple is taking gaming nowadays.
Let’s not neglect that we’ve all seen the spectacular gaming advances on the Mac. Most fashionable Macs are geared up with highly effective Apple silicon chips which can be way more adept at gaming than many individuals are used to seeing from Apple. The corporate has been working laborious on bringing help for AAA video games to macOS (see Cyberpunk 2077 being introduced late final yr), whereas it’s additionally been including devoted gaming options like Sport Mode to the Mac.
Now, that pondering seems to be translating throughout to the Imaginative and prescient Professional. Nevertheless it doesn’t simply seem to be a token effort from Apple — no, the patent really tells us fairly a bit in regards to the firm’s perspective in direction of gaming.
Give it some thought this manner. Apple working with an organization like Sony to develop help for present controllers is one factor, however going it alone means that Apple is de facto investing within the concept of gaming on the Imaginative and prescient Professional. In any case, it takes much more sources to design and construct your personal controller than to work with a longtime gaming firm like Sony that may share the load with you.
To me, that implies not solely that Apple needs to have extra, uhh, management over its controller, however that it’s prepared to take dangers and pour extra sources into the concept. In the event you’ve been hoping gaming enhancements will come to the Imaginative and prescient Professional, that’s an encouraging signal.
That stated, we don’t know when or even when this controller will grow to be a actuality — it’s only a patent software for now, and Apple would possibly merely be exploring concepts with none intention to ever construct a Imaginative and prescient Professional controller. However the truth that we all know Apple is at the very least contemplating it’s welcome information for avid gamers.
Now Apple simply must chip away on the longstanding difficulty of getting extra video games onto the Imaginative and prescient Professional. And if it’s to face any probability of doing that, a devoted VR controller is an effective place to begin.
