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Apple really wanted the Apple Vision Pro to take over the VR landscape when it released earlier this year, but after months of returns and rumors of delays for follow-ups, it’s clear that demand isn’t quite living up to expectations. One potential reason for the problem? Well, the $3,500 price tag. But aside from that? The Vision Pro has yet to prove itself as a gaming device.
VR headsets and gaming go hand in hand
Since the very first Oculus Rift launched back in 2016, current consumer VR technology has always been deeply intertwined with gaming. One of the most prominent VR headsets in the space right now is PlayStation branded, and despite Meta’s attempts to push the Quest family of devices as being useful for anything from work to fitness, the company’s headsets still come with motion tracking, console-like controllers and plenty of big-budget exclusive games.
This sort of support helps give a headset broader appeal and a sense of having “killer apps” that give you a reason to wear it outside of air travel or other niche situations. But the Vision Pro is, by design, much less capable of supporting gaming. That’s because Apple has chosen not to ship it with controllers.
There’s two sides to this. The first is that Apple’s hand-tracking is quite good, making casually scrolling through the Vision Pro’s interface not too dissimilar from using an iPad. It also makes the Vision Pro perhaps a bit more approachable to non-gamers, again fitting its branding less as a gaming device and more as, to use Apple’s words, a “spatial computer.”
But unfortunately, the lack of controllers also means that, in the odd situation where you want to game, your inputs are seriously limited. Despite the accuracy of Apple’s hand tracking, it’s still a big laggy for twitchy actions, and the lack of dedicated buttons means developers are limited in how they can use the device.
It’s a shame, because armed with beautiful screens, an easy-to-navigate interface, and an M2 chip, the Vision Pro definitely has the hardware to support more experiences than it does. It could be the best gaming headset by default if it simply supported motion controllers. Unfortunately, we’re left with much lighter experiences, sacrificed on the altar of fashion.
Still, let’s say you don’t have interest in big-budget VR games, but just want to poke around with playing in VR or AR while you’re there. Is the Apple Vision Pro good for casual gaming? Well, yes, but with some big asterisks.
Gears & Goo on the Apple Vision Pro
Credit: Apple
Recently, I got to go hands-on with an early build of Gears & Goo, an upcoming Apple Vision Pro exclusive from veteran VR and AR developers Resolution Games. The game is a sort of a cross between a real-time strategy game and a MOBA (multiplayer online battle arena), where you lead troops to take down an enemy stronghold. It’s a clever choice for the Vision Pro, and is probably as impressive as a game for the headset could get (previous experiences have generally been lighter than this), but nevertheless, I could feel the developers straining against the device’s limitations. If this is Apple’s best, it’s a concerning sign.
First, the good. The graphics here are genuinely immersive, and nothing feels blurry or hard to follow. The AR effect here is especially well sold, with the game’s tiny cartoon critters actually feeling like they’re sharing the same space as you. Control was also surprisingly intuitive for a hands-only game, with your hands essentially taking the place of a mouse as you command troops. There’s a lot of charm to be found here as you play through the game’s silly setting of rival alien soda companies taking part in literal corporate warfare.
But once the glitz of the first impression is gone, the parlor trick feeling of it all starts to set in. While the game sets itself up as an RTS, with you spawning troops and choosing how to build your home base, it’s more limited than most games in the genre. You quickly realize that you have no direct control over your troops: once they’re deployed, the only decision you’re able to make with them is which “lane” of the battlefield you want them to attack—which is where the MOBA elements come in. Similarly, you can only build in a very small square directly in front of you.
There are elements you can interact with on the map, like bombs you can click on to blow up enemies as they walk past them, but while the game tries to make you feel like a commander, the truth is that you’re mostly ordering the type of army you’d like off a menu and watching it do all the work for you.
That’s not inherently a bad thing, and works for the bite-sized, mobile game-style levels presented to you. But it’s also clear that the restricted gameplay is due to the Vision Pro’s lack of controllers.
It’s likely that you can only build your base in a very small area in front of you because that’s easier on the device. Same with not being able to order troops around directly. And the choice of genre is almost certainly so that players can play sitting down, without needing to use room-scale tracking. Again, it’s a clever choice, but not exactly an ambitious one.
Essentially, there’s nothing being done here that couldn’t be replicated outside of VR, meaning this is basically an iPad game with a three-dimensional coat of paint. In fact, it would probably play better on that platform, as the more precise control would likely mean fewer restrictions on gameplay.
I only got to play a few levels, so it’s possible it gets more complex later, but as it is, this isn’t a great first impression for what the Vision Pro might deliver with its exclusives in the future, and it certainly doesn’t bode well for ongoing third-party VR game support. It should be a fun distraction for people who already own the headset, but unlike with Meta-exclusive games like Batman: Arkham Shadow, it’s unlikely to convince anyone who doesn’t already own a Vision Pro to rush out and buy one. Even if you’re not into more “hardcore” games, there’s little unique here at the moment. Not only are you just fine with an iPad, but probably better off with one, too.
What about more traditional games?
So, VR gaming on the Apple Vision Pro might come across more as a novelty for now, but what about using the headset as a monitor for playing 2D games? This worked better in my demo, where I got to experience the console game Lies of P in the Vision Pro, but I have two problems stopping me from recommending it.
Again, let’s start with the positives. In my time with it, I got to play the game, a more traditional hack-and-slash RPG akin to Dark Souls, by using the Vision Pro as an external monitor for a MacBook running the game. Connection was smooth, gameplay was responsive, and the beta ultrawide mode I got to test with allowed me to replicate a type of monitor most people don’t own in real life.
And yet, I’m left feeling like Apple is doing the bare minimum here. Case in point: If the Apple Vision Pro is supposed to be a “spatial computer,” why do I need a MacBook to stream the game from? Released for Mac last year just a few months after the M2 hit the market, Lies of P is plenty capable of achieving solid performance on an M2 chip, so it would make sense to expect the Vision Pro to run it natively. Instead, you need an external computer communicating with it wirelessly, and in a situation like a flight, that just adds extra bulk and more potential points of failure.
Meanwhile, I’m wondering why you’d want to use the Vision Pro to play this game anywhere other than a flight or another situation where you can’t access a television or large monitor. That’s because, while the large virtual display was certainly nice, I’m not sure wearing the Vision Pro for a whole gameplay session is feasible.
This headset is premium, and that means an all-metal construction, which is heavy on your face. I only wore the Vision Pro for about 45 minutes, and by the end, I was happy to take it off. Meanwhile, I can usually go with the plastic construction of my Meta Quest 3 for a few hours before getting tired. A cheaper Apple Vision product can’t get here fast enough, and that’s for more reasons than price.
So, while the Apple Vision Pro works for non-VR games, I don’t see myself using it for them outside of situations where I have few other options. And even then, the experience could be better.
Should gamers get the Apple Vision Pro?
With its horsepower, the Apple Vision Pro should be a contender for best gaming headset, but the baffling decision to opt out of controllers keeps it from holding that status. Right now, it’s one of the worst headsets for gaming, and with gaming still holding such a big part of the overall headset market, that leaves the Vision Pro in an awkward spot overall.
I still think it’s possible we might see Apple release Vision Pro controllers in the future, as it starts to adjust more to the reality that VR headsets are specialty devices with specific appeal that general audiences can’t be forced to love, and, therefore, can’t be sold on the same minimalist, luxury approach as a MacBook. But until that time comes, the Apple Vision Pro will continue to be very powerful hardware without any real experience that pushes it to its limits. For now, you can still get a better gaming experience for much less.