The Vision Pro is a highly competitive product, and Apple appears to be creating additional utilities for the headset so it can better compete with Meta's Quest line of products. According to the latest, Apple is working on a version of the Apple Pencil that will support visionOS and allow users to control and interact with the headset in a more precise and seamless manner. While details are scarce at this stage, the company is currently testing how the accessory could serve as a complimentary device to the Vision Pro.
Apple is working on Apple Pencil support for the Vision Pro, extending the headset's functionality and control beyond hand gestures
Currently, you can only use the Apple Pencil with an iPad, and it makes sense as the device features a larger canvas for precise interaction and bigger elements on the display. However, the company wants to extend the accessory to the Vision Pro to extend its functionality and control beyond hand gestures. To make it a reality, Apple is currently testing a version of the Apple Pencil with support for visionOS, and it could see daylight sooner rather than later, potentially with the release of visionOS 2.0 later this year (via MacRumors).
If you have bought the Apple Vision Pro, the Apple Pencil support will be added via a software update, as the company would not release dedicated hardware to bring support for the accessory. Additionally, since the Vision Pro is solely a product that displays augmented reality, it does not make sense for the company to bring down support for the Apple Pencil via hardware changes, as software support would be sufficient.
Note that compatibility and development of a new accessory could take some time. The Vision Pro could directly communicate with the accessory wirelessly for controls and display the desired results on the screen in a virtual space. However, keep in mind that the company is not looking to replace hand gestures as a means of control. Still, it will be compatible with a handful of apps such as Pixelmator, Freeform, and possibly Photoshop for editing purposes.
While exact details are scarce at this point, we suspect that the Apple Pencil will be used on a surface or a flat area for drawing purposes. The Apple Pencil will communicate with the Vision Pro for extended roles such as pressure sensitivity and tilting to derive results similar to how you use the accessory on your iPad. The company is also working on a new version of the Apple Pencil, which will launch alongside the highly-anticipated OLED iPad Pro models. We are not familiar with the launch time frame, but Apple could highlight the feature at its WWDC 2024 event for the visionOS 2.0 build.
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