Is Apple working on a gaming controller for iOS devices? That’s the bombshell that Vivek Gowri and Anand Lal Shimpi dropped in their review of Apple’s new iPad, where they were quoted as saying “I know of an internal Apple project to bring a physical controller to market […] But whether or not it will ever see the light of day remains to be seen.” The iPad and iPhone has been touted by Apple as capable gaming devices, with games such as Infinity Blade being used to showcase their devices’ graphic capabilities, so would it really be a stretch of the imagination to think that Apple could be looking to take gaming on iOS devices one step further?
At the moment, iOS’s competition Android offers users the ability to tether external controllers to their devices. While gaming on the touchscreen is not really an issue, it starts getting a bit more trick in games where physical controls are mimicked by on-screen controls. Many gamers can probably attest to the fact that it’s a lot more enjoyable playing with a physical controller rather than an on-screen joystick or D-pad. Then again, companies test ideas from time to time with most of it never making it into the market, so for all we know the rumored physical controller could merely be a prototype that may never materialize.
Until more evidence has been uncovered, taking this information with a grain of salt seems to be the best solution for now. But what do you guys think? Does the idea of an Apple made gaming controller appeal to you? Or do you think third party hardware like the iCade 8-Bitty should just extend support to all iOS games?
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