Apple’s Vision Pro headset doesn't need controllers. Why?

This is 202X's vibe. It doesn't matter if you make TVs or cameras: if you are Big Tech, you've got to sell phones and those phones need to have AI. 

But while Google and Microsoft are busy duking it through their AI-fueled products that will allegedly “change the way we approach everyday tasks”, Apple was busy being a potential trendsetter yet again with the introduction of the Apple Vision Pro.

We can’t really blame you if you haven’t adopted AR/VR yet. The tech is expensive, oftentimes clumsy and has little application beyond a very specific type of gaming, which most gamers avoid like the plague.

So, given that that’s the case, let’s dive deeper into why the Apple Vision Pro won’t have VR controllers. Just in case the above statement didn’t make it perfectly clear, but oh well.




The issue with brand new branches of technology is that each previous iteration strains the creation of next generations with preconception. I mean, think about how much time it took for us to get used to the ever-growing lack of physical buttons on smartphones? I, personally, hated that with a passion, because I was worried that it would end up gatekeeping Android phones in specific ways. 

As such, when drafting up the Apple Vision Pro, the Big A undoubtedly started out with the idea of the headset having controllers too. Because how would you put a bullet through the thick skull of a ganados in Resident Evil 4 VR without them, right?

And then, I imagine, the realization of a fact hit the developers: Apple isn’t exactly the go-to brand when it comes to gaming. It is, however, the go-to brand for things such as productivity, multitasking and interconnectivity of devices. Which is exactly what AR/VR has been sorely lacking, if we have to be honest. 

Hence, the right call was to ditch ideas such as smart rings or collaborations for controllers with third-party brands. Well, some form of collaboration still exists, because the Vision Pro is expected to work with game controllers from Microsoft and Sony, at the very least.

What is the extent of that last statement? We don’t know. The best case scenario would be if all controllers, supported by iOS and macOS, were supported by the Vision Pro too. But we’ll probably hear more about time later down the line, when the product is closer to being released to the public.

And when it is, it will likely be just as controller-less as it was showcased during WWDC of 2023. After all, the point of this headset is to enable the wearer to do more things without needing anything beyond the piece of tech itself. Sure, we can’t say it’s exactly portable — especially with that battery constraint — but the important thing is that it is a step in the right direction.