At the WWDC keynote back in July, Apple made a vague mention of game controller support in iOS7. Besides allowing gamers to play games on the handheld iOS devices, it has all been also speculated that controllers are part of the “Apple TV” plans. Apple’s game controller plans now are starting to take shape.
Apple's game controller plans take shape
At WWDC 2013, Apple announced that they will allow hardware companies and game developers to create and take advantage of game controllers under the MFi (made for iPhone/iPod/iPad) program. Following WWDC Gamecase has made a game controller available for the iPad Mini and a photo of an iPhone controller from Logitech has leaked.
Logitech’s iPhone game controller
Besides the click-on game controllers, Apple has also detailed stand-alone game controllers with analog sticks and buttons that can connect wirelessly to a device via Bluetooth. We have yet to see any real designs, but it has been speculated that the stand-alone game controllers are part of Apple’s plans to make a more capable Apple TV box or a TV screen with an app store that could allow more advanced games, making it a contender in the living room game console field.
Gamecase iPad Mini game controller
In this scenario iPhone or iPad games could also be streamed wirelessly to the TV screen via Airplay and be controlled with a game controller. And with game engines such as the Unreal, CryEngine, and Unity (latest update has native iOS7 game controller support) already powering some iOS and Android games we can likely expect console-like gaming from handheld devices in a few years from now.
Apple’s recommendation for a stand-alone game controller
Several game developers have already integrated game controller support in games, including Limbo, Walking Dead, Bastion, AVP: Evolution, classic Amiga games that will be released “in time for the 2013 holiday season” as well as Crytek’s coming ‘The Collectibles’.
Apple's game controller plans take shape
