The sweatiness of your hands may no longer be a concern when you upgrade to a new Apple TV this fall. A newly announced cover for the Siri Remote claims it will provide grip and comfort while you play iOS games on the big screen.
The accessory is called Survivor Play for Siri Remote, and it comes courtesy of Griffin Technology, known for its rugged and durable phone and tablet cases.
“As our team gathered around to watch Apple’s announcement last week, we immediately knew the new Siri Remote and gaming feature for Apple TV would be a huge hit,” said Griffin‘s senior designer for strategic development George Campbell in a press release. “Now that gaming has been added, the Apple remote will work harder than ever and our Survivor Play will be there to further enhance the gaming experience.”
Survivor Play is a textured, silicone sleeve that slips over the back of the Siri Remote, leaving the buttons and microphone uncovered. The aim is to make the chunk of plastic comfortable to hold for long gaming sessions.
Apple revealed the new version of Apple TV last week at its iPhone 6s event, and the presentation included game demos from Crossy Road developer Hipster Whale and Rock Band maker Harmonix.
Harmonix’s new offering, Beat Sports, has players batting balls at monsters in time to music. With its motion-based gameplay, remote-like controller, and cartoonish figures, it made the new Apple TV look a lot like Nintendo’s megahit Wii console, which launched back in 2006 with a similarly named title called Wii Sports.
Survivor Play, which will cost $19.99 when it launches later this fall, might be an attempt to head off the damage some overenthusiastic Wii owners inflicted when their controllers flew out of their hands, often right into their expensive, flat-screen TVs.
Nintendo responded to these incidents by shipping out up to four “Wii Remote Jackets” to anyone who requested them. These inspired countless jokes about condoms, and it certainly didn’t help that the console’s name sounded like a euphemism for that certain part of the male anatomy.
The main difference here, though, is that the Siri Remote doesn’t have a wrist strap.
Yet.
