Mac is not the preferred platform for most gamers, but Metal 3 in macOS Ventura shows Apple hasn’t given up. And iPadOS 16 is getting support for a wider range of game controllers.
These are just a couple of gaming features Apple is bringing to Mac and iPad.
Clip the Backbone One to your iPhone to get the physical buttons and sticks you’ve been missing. It has a lot in common with an Xbox controller, while being designed specifically for iPhone gaming. And a Lightning connector makes hookups easy.
I spent many hours testing the Backbone One. Here’s why I completely love it, especially for cloud gaming.
Apple is showing interest in making a clip-on iPhone or iPad game controller. It filed a patent application for various permutations of exactly that sort of accessory on Thursday.
This would be a new product category for the company. But it could be a boon for Apple Arcade subscribers.
Playing serious games on an iPhone touchscreen can be crazy frustrating. Don’t throw your iPhone across the room — get a game controller like RiotPwr’s Rotor Riot RR1852. This mimics the design of Microsoft’s Xbox controller but with a Lightning cable and an iPhone mount.
I fully tested this updated version of the Rotor Riot Lightning-enabled game controller. And I like it a lot. And apparently so does Apple because you can find it in the Apple Store, both online and brick-and-mortar locations.
RiotPwr is out with a new version of its iPhone game controller with a Lightning connector. This mimics the design of Microsoft’s Xbox controller, and new version adds a pair of buttons needed to play many games.
Apple likes this accessory so much it just began offering it in the Apple Store, both online and brick-and-mortar locations.
If you’ve ever wished you could merge your iPhone and Nintendo Switch, I have great news. The GameSir X2 Lightning wraps around your handset and adds physical buttons and joysticks in a design reminiscent of the Switch Lite. And it includes a Lightning connector so it plugs directly into your iPhone.
I spent many hours playing games with this accessory — probably more than were necessary for testing. Here’s why I love it.
On-screen game controls can be hard to use, but the GameSir X2 Lightning Mobile Gaming Controller adds physical buttons and joysticks to your iPhone. This newly-launched version includes a Lightning connector, making Bluetooth unnecessary.
In a related development, the GameSir F7 Claw Tablet Game Controller for larger devices is now available on Amazon.
The GameSir G4 Pro is a wireless game controller that works with iPhone and iPad but also PC, Android and Switch. It resembles a wireless Xbox controller but with a flip-out mount for holding an iPhone.
I did quite a bit of gaming with the G4 Pro. Here’s how it stood up.
Clip the GameSir X2 Bluetooth Mobile Gaming Controller to an iPhone or Android to add physical controls to the handset. It uses a split design that puts the buttons and joysticks on either side of the screen.
GameSir also launched the F7 Claw Tablet Game Controller for larger devices.
Apple is working with Microsoft to make new Xbox Series X controllers compatible with iPhone, iPad, Mac and more.
Support for Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and other controllers is already baked into the latest versions of iOS. It’s not yet clear if Apple will add support for the PlayStation 5’s new DualSense controller, too.
A regular source of Apple leaks said on Thursday that a less expensive version of the Apple Watch is in the offing.
This was just one of multiple tidbits Jon Prosser dropped during a public Q&A session. He mentioned the first MacBook with Apple silicon, talked a bit about the company’s game controller, and more.
Finding the one model of Xbox controller that’s compatible with Apple Arcade is now as easy as ordering it from the Apple Store.
Many of the games in this company’s new gaming service can be played with an Xbox or PS4 wireless controller, but only a very limited selection of controllers are supported. Listing one in Apple’s online store simplifies getting the right one.
Mobile gaming has never been better, but you’re missing out if you’re playing the latest titles with touch controls. A good controller is a worthwhile purchase, but should you spend $75 on the Gamevice?
It looks great, boasts the best design of any iPhone controller, and never needs charging. It also works with almost any iPhone. The only problem? It disappoints where it matters most.
Fortnite season five is now in full swing, giving players new areas to explore, a new vehicle to ride around in, and more. The latest Fortnite update also makes huge control improvements.
Players on iOS will find gunfights easier thanks to autofire, while those on Nintendo Switch can enjoy more accurate aiming with motion control.
Nintendo’s long-awaited Switch gaming console packs an surprisingly cool feature: You can use its unique Joy-Con controllers to play games on your Mac.
Gaming has come a long, long way since the ‘80s, but the simplicity and familiarity of the good old days still resonates. The NES30 Bluetooth controller mixes the best of the old and the new, in a sleek controller that streamlines the original brick-like controller of the NES, and updates it with all the functions needed for modern gaming. It’s a fully featured blast from the past that’s just $36.99.
A key feature in iOS 7 dangles the prospect of console-style action in front of hard-core gamers hooked on action-platformers and first-person shooters. But while developers can now add controller support to games, hardware makers face a new challenge: getting gamers to shell out $100 to morph their iPhones or iPads into console killers.
Hardware maker Signal is unapologetic about the hefty price tag for its new RP One controller, one of several new gaming devices certified under Apple’s Made for iPhone (MFi) program.
“Quality is not free,” Signal’s director Mark Prince told Cult of Mac, “and it makes no sense to compare an MFi controller to a ‘bag and tag’ generic [Bluetooth] controller.”
Core gamers want to sit down with a precision controller when they immerse themselves in a console game. iOS developers compete with the big boys of console gaming like Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo, for their audience’s gaming dollars.
It’s a clear trend, and even Apple, which has long played the “we don’t care much about gaming” card with iOS, has finally introduced built-in code to support game controllers.
Peripheral makers Logitech, SteelSeries, and Moga have all put their efforts into iOS 7-compatible controllers, each a little different. They all run $100, though, leaving gamers wondering if Apple has set the pricing.
“$100 is probably the lowest viable price point for most if not all of us to cover development, material and manufacturing costs, plus packaging, distribution and retail margins,” said Prince. “We’d like to go on record as saying that Apple does not set these prices.”
As we noted earlier this week, iOS 7 includes some code that will allow third party manufacturers create universal controllers for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch using Apple’s latest mobile operating system. It’s groundbreaking stuff, especially for a traditionally game-averse tech company, but we’re starting to see the first wave of controllers to come out.
Apple announced during its WWDC keynote that iOS 7 will finally bring support for third-party game controllers, and the Cupertino company has followed that up with a new set of guidelines which detail a standard for iOS and OS X game controllers.
The document is designed to ensure all game developers are working with the same specifications, so no matter who your favorite title was built by, it should be compatible with your controller.
Every time I’ve talked about iOS gaming, I’ve said that it’s missing one thing: physical controls. Sure, all kinds of games work well with a touchscreen, but a lot don’t. Numerous accessory makers have attempted to change this with add-on controllers, but none have really taken off.
The Bladepad hopes to change that. It’s a detachable case with a slide-out controller that features dual analog sticks, physical buttons — including shoulder buttons — and more.
If you’re an iOS gamer, there’s no better accessory for your iPhone than a game controller that allows you to use physical controls within your favorite games. And there’s no better game controller than this one, inspired by the retro gamepad from the Nintendo Entertainment System.
ION Audio is showing off two new iCade products at CES in Las Vegas this week that provide retro gamers with physical controls while they’re on the go.
Unlike its original iCade Arcade Cabinet, which you wouldn’t dream of carrying around in your rucksack, the iCade Core and iCade Mobile accessories from ION are compact, lightweight, and ready to follow you about.