Apple testing the Apple Pencil with the Apple Vision Pro

Even though the Apple Vision Pro doesn't need an external controller, a new rumor suggests that Apple is testing how the Apple Pencil could be used with Apple's headset.

When Apple released the Apple Vision Pro, it made a big deal about how the spatial computing headset didn't rely on any sort of handheld controller. Instead, the Apple Vision Pro relies on the "gaze and pinch" system.

However, that may change. The company is now reportedly testing a new Apple Pencil with visionOS support, according to MacRumors sources.

There are currently no details on why Apple is testing the pair together. One possibility is that users will be able to draw with the Apple Pencil while wearing the Apple Vision Pro. This would allow wearers to draw on a desktop or table or perhaps on a hovering window for Freeform or other drawing apps.

Monday's report notes that compatibility with the Apple Vision Pro will require updated software, but there's no official — or unofficial — timeline for when that could happen. While visionOS 1.2 could be available as soon as late March, it's possible the support may not surface until visionOS 2 — if at all.

The new rumor isn't the first time that this has been theorized. Apple has research detailing the possibility.

In January, a patent suggested that Apple had been looking into this possibly for a while. The same patent suggested the controller — an Apple Pencil-like device — could even feature virtual tips that the user could see.