The previously announced SteelSeries Stratus XL has officially launched today on the Apple Store. Following in the footsteps of the original Stratus controller, the beefed-up Stratus XL provides a larger frame that gives it some parity to console controllers in terms of relative size and button layout.

The Stratus XL connects to an iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch using a wireless Bluetooth connection, and the large design fits all of the expected control inputs: two joysticks, a pressure-sensitive directional pad, four action buttons, and four shoulder buttons that include two analog trigger buttons.

stratus-xl-main
Our sister site TouchArcade got a hands-on with the controller at E3 this past summer, and found the new device favorable over the diminutive size of the original Stratus. They noted, "Instead of curling your hands around the tiny SteelSeries Stratus, holding the SteelSeries Stratus XL is more similar to having an Xbox 360 or Xbox One controller in your hands."

The Stratus XL uses AA batteries instead of a rechargeable battery pack. SteelSeries says the batteries should last for 40+ hours of playtime, and a switch on the back of the device should help users prevent heavy drainage of the batteries when not in use.


The SteelSeries Stratus XL can be purchased now from the Apple Store for $69.95, which is about $10 over the price tag of the PS4 DualShock 4 and the Xbox One Wireless Controller. The Stratus XL will be available for direct purchase from the SteelSeries official website, and for hands-on demos at select Apple Stores, on December 6.

Related Roundups: iPad mini, iPad
Related Forums: iPhone, iPad

Top Rated Comments

furi0usbee Avatar
122 months ago
Hey Apple, I'd buy one of theses *and* a new Apple TV if you just let games run on the damn thing. Want my money?
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Kissaragi Avatar
122 months ago
I wish apple would just let an xbox 1 or ps4 controller connect to iOS devices. They should make controller compatibility a compulsory feature in games too.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Z400Racer37 Avatar
122 months ago
70 bucks? Are you mad man?? :eek:
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Frost7 Avatar
122 months ago
I wish Sony and Microsoft would just release a compatible controller.
I think you mean you wish Apple would let their controllers be used with iOS.

Especially in the case of the DualShock 4, Sony did a great job making it wonderfully cross-platform. Besides just a PlayStation, you can use it on a Mac and PC wired or wirelessly, and you can use it wired with Android devices.

This one's in Apple's court.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ArtOfWarfare Avatar
122 months ago
They should make controller compatibility a compulsory feature in games too.
I agree with this with some restrictions - all games with virtual controls should be required to be able to be controlled with an external controller.

I add in that small restriction because I think some games, IE, Cut the Rope, already have excellent controls that don't utilize any virtual controls. Such games already have excellent controls - using an external controller would make it worse, not better.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
macduke Avatar
122 months ago
Finally a reasonably priced controller (NOT $100+) that checks most of the boxes for me. I only wish that it had an offset thumbstick like the Xbox controller. Basically just switch the location of the left thumbstick and the d-pad and it's all good.

--

What they should do next is release an Apple TV 4 and Apple TV 4S (or whatever they call it). Charge $99 for the Apple TV 4 with an A7, 1GB RAM and 16GB of storage for basic apps (current one is 8GB for OS and streaming cache). Charge $199 for the TV 4S with an A8X, 2GB of ram and 32GB of storage. Charge $299 for 64GB. Don't think Apple can hit that price point? Here is the breakdown of the price for the iPad Air 2 parts that they could put in an S model Apple TV (remember Apple TVs have mostly iOS hardware inside, but no expensive displays, digitizers, cellular chips, battery, or fancy aluminum enclosures):

16GB NAND: $6.75 / 64GB NAND: $27, 32GB in between, probably around $16
A8X: $22
2GB DRAM: $18
WiFi/BT: $4.50
Manufacturing: $6 / Probably half of the iPad: $3
Enclosure/PCB: $44 / Probably half the iPad (plastic, smaller, less parts) $22
Box and power cable: $5, Probably half the iPad which includes a charger and sync cable with a larger box: $2.50

So for $199 32GB Apple TV 4S, the cost to make is about $88. The A8X with two quad-core graphics chips, on paper, puts out about as many GFLOPS as an Xbox 360, but with more RAM so you can run other tasks in the background similar to a newer console like the Xbox One, and you could always have a microphone listening with Siri support to pause your show, open Netflix, etc. A microphone would add a couple bucks to the price. But even at $90 that's a pretty solid $109 margin. These are all estimates but I think they are reasonable. Factor in a product mix that includes a 64GB model for more games and you push that margin even higher.

I think there would be a market for something like that. There are many people who want to play casual games in their living room with their kids or family, but don't want to shell out $400-500 for an Xbox or PS4 and $60/game. With an Apple TV gaming edition, you get a $199 box that supports tons of fairly inexpensive games, you could support motion/gesture control with an attached iOS device that they're already likely to own, you make it the hub of their living room with Siri support, introduce a brand new way of ordering channels piece by piece (I think this has been delaying the new Apple TV), and you're good to go. If you want to run simple apps and games then get the basic model. Even establish a premium game section on the App Store with "outlandish" $20-30 prices. That's still cheap compared to consoles, but would provide incentive for more AAA titles to be developed for iOS across the board, while allowing developers to focus on fancy features for newer devices with higher-end specs. But if Apple does this, then I think they should absolutely design their own controllers alongside 3rd party solutions. And like somebody else said, they need to start requiring that apps with virtual on-screen controls (not swipes, but actual buttons) support controllers as well.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 16 Camera Lozenge 2 Perspective Gray

Five Key Upgrades Coming to iPhone 16

Friday March 15, 2024 1:45 pm PDT by
The iPhone is Apple's top-selling product, and it gets an update every year. In 2024, we're expecting the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro lineup, with an arguably more interesting feature set than we got with the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Capture Button All four iPhone 16 models are set to get a whole new button, which will be...
When To Expect New iPads Feature 1

Apple to Announce New iPads on March 26, Rumors Claim

Monday March 18, 2024 4:02 am PDT by
Apple is widely expected to release new iPad Air and OLED iPad Pro models in the next few weeks. According to new rumors coming out of Asia, the company will announce its new iPads on Tuesday, March 26. Chinese leaker Instant Digital on Weibo this morning 日发布%23">claimed that the date will see some sort of announcement from Apple related to new iPads, but stopped short of calling it an...
airpods 3 orange

Two New AirPods 4 Models Expected to Launch in September or October

Sunday March 17, 2024 7:56 am PDT by
Apple suppliers will begin production of two new fourth-generation AirPods models in May, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Based on this production timeframe, he expects the headphones to be released in September or October. Gurman expects both fourth-generation AirPods models to feature a new design with better fit, improved sound quality, and an updated charging case with a USB-C...
iphone se 4 modified flag edges

iPhone SE 4 Expected to Depreciate Heavily

Tuesday March 12, 2024 9:04 am PDT by
Resale value trends suggest the iPhone SE 4 may not hold its value as well as Apple's flagship models, according to SellCell. According to the report, Apple's iPhone SE models have historically depreciated much more rapidly than the company's more premium offerings. The third-generation iPhone SE, which launched in March 2022, experienced a significant drop in resale value, losing 42.6%...
General iOS 17 Feature Orange Purple

iOS 17.4.1 Update for iPhone is Imminent

Monday March 18, 2024 5:27 am PDT by
iOS 17.4.1 and iPadOS 17.4.1 should be released within the next few days, with a build number of 21E235, according to a source with a proven track record. MacRumors previously reported that Apple was internally testing iOS 17.4.1. As a minor update for the iPhone, it will likely address software bugs and/or security vulnerabilities. It is unclear if the update will include any other changes. ...
M3 iPad Feature 3

New iPads Likely to Begin Shipping in April

Monday March 18, 2024 9:52 am PDT by
Apple's new iPad Pro models with OLED displays will likely begin shipping to customers in April, according to information shared today by Ross Young, CEO of display industry research firm Display Supply Chain Consultants. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman also said the new iPad Pro models might not ship until "deeper" into April in his Power On newsletter on Sunday:I've repeatedly said that new...
iOS 17 Passkey With Apple ACCOUNT Feature

'Apple ID' Expected to Change to 'Apple Account' Starting With iOS 18

Sunday March 17, 2024 7:13 am PDT by
MacRumors was first to report that Apple was planning to rebrand "Apple ID" to "Apple Account" across its software platforms and websites like iCloud.com as early as this year, and now Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has corroborated this change. A mockup of the new Apple Account branding In his Power On newsletter today, Gurman said the new "Apple Account" branding will start to be used later this...