Apple Has No Plans for Dedicated iOS Gaming Controller - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Apple Has No Plans for Dedicated iOS Gaming Controller

app_store_games_bannerFollowing today's rumor that Apple was quietly polling developers at this week's Game Developers Conference about support for a forthcoming gaming controller for iOS devices, the ever-reliable Jim Dalrymple has quickly quashed that report.

As usual, Dalrymple provides no additional comment beyond a simple "Nope", but his selective quoting of the source material suggests that he is denying any current plans for an Apple-branded controller.

"Long rumoured – and hoped for – GDC 2013 has finally provided confirmation that Apple will release its own dedicated game controller."

Nope.

Dalrymple has solid connections at Apple and has on numerous occasions and with 100% accuracy either confirmed or denied specific rumors. Prior to today, his most recent such statement came last month when he nixed a claim of a television-related Apple media event scheduled Apple for this month.

Popular Stories

Apple Card iPhone 16 Pro Feature

Apple Card Promo to Offer Free AirPods Pro 3

Friday May 15, 2026 8:59 am PDT by
Starting as early as next week, customers who sign up for an Apple Card at Apple's retail stores in the U.S. will receive $249 cash back when they purchase AirPods Pro 3, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The promotion has yet to be officially announced by Apple, so exact terms and conditions are not available at this time. AirPods Pro 3 are priced at $249 in the U.S., so customers who...
Apple WWDC25 iOS 26 CarPlay Light mode 250609

Six Popular iPhone Apps Now Available on CarPlay

Thursday May 14, 2026 9:10 am PDT by
Apple's CarPlay system for accessing iPhone apps on a vehicle's dashboard screen has received six popular apps in recent weeks: ChatGPT, Perplexity, Grok, Google Meet, WhatsApp, and the indie artist streaming platform Audiomack. Make sure you have the latest version of each app and they will automatically appear on CarPlay. ChatGPT Starting with iOS 26.4, CarPlay supports voice-based...
ipad mini 7 blue

OLED iPad Mini: Release Date, Pricing, and What to Expect

Thursday May 14, 2026 5:08 am PDT by
According to the latest rumors, Apple is close to launching its next-generation iPad mini. So what should we expect from the successor to the iPad mini 7 that Apple released over a year ago? Read on to find out. Processor and Performance Apple is working on a next-generation version of the iPad mini (codename J510/J511) that features the A19 Pro chip, according to information found in code...

Top Rated Comments

171 months ago
Judging from typical Apple trends, It'll probably be a one button controller anyways if it did ever happen.
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
WildCowboy Avatar
171 months ago
I'd probably be more inclined to trust him than an "analyst" any day.

Only "probably"?
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
r2shyyou Avatar
171 months ago
Judging from typical Apple trends, It'll probably be a one button controller anyways if it did ever happen.
You mean like this? :D

Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
iParis Avatar
171 months ago
I'd probably be more inclined to trust him than an "analyst" any day.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TimUSCA Avatar
171 months ago
Not sure why anyone would buy into this anyway. Apple has always said that the iPhone is about touch... releasing a game controller not only reverses their trends, but it also complicates things by adding apps into the App Store that require an accessory.

Apple will never do this.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
171 months ago
A Joypad made by Apple would suck, they can't even make a decent mouse! a far better idea would be to incorporate BT drivers in iOS then we could have the option of using PS3 pads etc.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)