Ever since it launched, people have been wondering what sort of gaming platform the Apple Vision Pro will end up being. Apple has said that the headset’s spatial computing platform “makes new types of games possible,” but that’s so far been limited to Apple’s own strict interpretation of virtual reality (VR) gaming.
Now, though, it looks like some intrepid developers are working to port SteamVR to the Vision Pro. If successful, this could open up an entirely new library of games to Vision Pro users, allowing for a much wider range of titles to be played on Apple’s device and potentially turning it into a serious gaming platform.
According to AppleInsider, a set of developers have begun porting the open-source tool ALVR. This allows you to stream VR games to VR headsets over Wi-Fi. Right now, the Vision Pro isn’t compatible with SteamVR and its large library of games, so getting ALVR to work on Apple’s headset could be big news for VR gamers.
One developer has revealed that they are working on hand-tracking support for the project. Seeing as the Vision Pro does not use physical hand controllers, this could be an essential component for getting ALVR to work with Apple’s headset.
It’s not all smooth sailing
Before you get too excited, there are some major caveats for a project like this. For one thing, many SteamVR games require a specific type of controller that can be tracked by itself rather than by the headset’s cameras.
Bluetooth controllers therefore will not work, and while Valve’s Index controller is compatible, it requires a separate “lighthouse” station for tracking – and that means more compatibility and set-up work.
Speaking of setting things up, ALVR itself is complex to run. First, it must be downloaded from GitHub (it’s unlikely to ever land on the Vision Pro App Store). Getting ALVR onto a Vision Pro requires a separate Mac running Xcode, while streaming SteamVR games necessitates a high-end gaming PC that can beam the games to the headset.
That’s a lot of additional work, and it suggests that getting SteamVR games to run on the Vision Pro is going to be no easy task (both building out the compatibility and running the games once that’s done). We therefore don’t expect this to end up being much more than a hobbyist pursuit, especially considering how niche the Vision Pro already is.
Still, it would be very interesting to see whether this project is successful in the end. While it won’t change Vision Pro gaming on its own, it might help open up the device to gamers just a little more.
