Anyone who thought they absolutely had to buy the headset to enjoy PS VR2 can now breathe a sigh of relief: Apple is selling the PS-VR2 The Sense Controller will finally be available individually starting November 11th. And the best part? It's not Sony making it possible, but Apple.
For a mere $250, including Sony's sleek charging station. Sounds fair if you appreciate the humor in this story. After all, you're getting two controllers, which previously only existed as part of the headset, separately, and paying almost as much as for the headset itself.
A controller alone, what a luxury!
Until now, the Sense controllers were an exclusive bonus with the PS VR2 headset. Anyone wanting to experience the VR2 world automatically received them. Now you can buy them separately – from Apple, not Sony – as if they were a luxury item you absolutely had to own. Except the price is almost insane: $250 for two controllers and a non-essential charging station that's technically useless without the headset. You can hold them, look at them, and admire them; yes, that's probably their main function.
Thanks to visionOS 26, Apple promises new gaming experiences with the controllers, including Ping Pong Club and Pickle Pro, a hyper-realistic pickleball training experience. Those hoping for epic VR adventures will be slightly disappointed. Instead of epic battles and adventures, we now experience VR table tennis and pickleball. Welcome to the world of "next-level" sports.
Price vs. benefit, who pays for it?
$250 for two controllers. Sure, it includes a charging station, but still, that's marketing at its finest. Almost as expensive as a used PS VR2 headset itself (€300), and that's for an accessory you couldn't buy separately before. Apple is creating a new category here:High-end accessory for people who want everything in duplicate.Anyone who previously owned the headset can now rejoice, as they will have to dig deep into their pockets once again to get exactly the same thing again.
Buying the PS VR2 Sense controllers separately? Technically possible, financially painful, morally questionable – and that's precisely what makes it entertaining. You're essentially buying an upgrade to an upgrade. Welcome to the age of luxury accessory purchases, where Apple dictates the rules and Sony just watches.
And let's be honest: who needs precise haptics and resistive triggers when you can play ping pong in VR? You could almost think the controllers were designed purely for the fun of buying expensive things.
I don't understand why they don't sell them individually and integrate them into the system as an alternative control method for the DualSense in regular games. Except for the touchpad, the controllers have everything you need, or rather, the touchpad could be simulated with motion controls, for example, zooming in and out. It would also enable new games, something like Wii Sports. And regarding VR itself, instead of opening up the hardware for everything, why not include mod support for the PS5? On PC, there are so many third-person games that have gained a first-person perspective through mods; a VR mode isn't far off from that point.
I'd take it without a charging station, for €200.
………………………………………………………….
At least Sniper Elite 4 is coming soon for the Vision Pro. Or rather, as an update/upgrade. The Apple headset isn't really designed for gaming, but more for "luxurious" productivity. Using the controllers is just a nice gimmick. Especially if you happen to own both headsets.