Apple once explored ‘finger-worn devices’ for the Vision Pro

Apple’s WWDC-released Vision Pro Artificial Reality/Virtual Reality (AR/VR) headset promises to deliver immersive and realistic experiences in a Mixed Reality (MR) environment, but how much of that is possible without actual haptic feedback is yet to be seen.

In his brief hands-on with the Vision Pro, MobileSyrup editor-in-chief Patrick O’Rourke said that the level of fidelity the Vision Pro offers is impressiv. In an example where a virtual butterfly landed on his finger, he said could “feel the butterfly’s tiny legs moving around” on his finger. He attributed this to sensory trickery in virtual reality, before adding that he still missed the haptic feedback that more traditional VR controllers offer.

While navigating and using productivity and entertainment apps without a dedicated controller isn’t a problem for the Vision Pro, but what about gaming? Apple seems to have a different vision of how users should interact with VR games on Vision Pro. According to a report by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple is not planning to offer any VR game controllers for Vision Pro, nor is it planning to support third-party VR accessories.

Instead, the company has gone all-in on using hand and eye controls with Siri commands, instead of using a handheld remote. According to Gurman, Apple “explored the idea of a finger-worn device that would work as a controller” and also tested using existing VR controllers from other companies with its headset.

Ultimately, Apple decided that using just eye and hand tracking without an external accessory “was a more elegant solution.”

It’s worth noting that the Vision Pro will support PlayStation 5 and Xbox controllers for some games, though the company isn’t planning on developing its own controller for the headset.

Apple’s Vision Pro will release in the United States in early 2024 for $3,499 (roughly $4,700 CAD). It’s unclear if or when the headset will arrive in Canada.

Source: Bloomberg