Apple Working with Logitech and MOGA on Upcoming MFi Game Controllers

During Apple's WWDC keynote, the company revealed that a number of new APIs will be introduced with iOS 7, including support for MFi (Made for iPhone) certified hardware game controllers, which will allow manufacturers to design and release dedicated iOS gaming peripherals.

Some new information on the controllers has been made available to us from a variety of sources, including Czech site Jablickar.cz, which reports that Apple will team up with both Logitech and MOGA to produce the upcoming controllers. While no details on design have been leaked, Apple did provide two reference images to developers displaying a standalone handheld controller and an iPhone enclosure.

mogaprocontroller

A MOGA Controller
Both of the aforementioned companies already produce gaming controllers for use with PCs and Android. Major gaming companies like Gameloft, Mad Finger Games, SEGA, and Rockstar Games all offer support for MOGA's Android controllers, suggesting that support for Apple's upcoming controllers is likely too.

Games that include support for the controllers will be required to support traditional touch-based gaming input as well. Though Apple has prototype controllers on-hand at WWDC, the company is expecting the third party controllers to debut in the fall.

Top Rated Comments

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GSPice

81 months ago

All we're asking for is a legal NES emulator.

Rating: 9 Votes

Shattentor

81 months ago

Now open the ATV for 3rd party apps and my gaming dream will come true :)

Rating: 8 Votes

knemonic

81 months ago

Though I agree something is cooking in the oven with the ATV and gaming, I am reluctant to say it will be coming this fall since Apple would have debuted it for their developers last week so they could bring their games to the ATV app store.

Rating: 5 Votes

nagromme

81 months ago

Now open the ATV for 3rd party apps and my gaming dream will come true :)

Only for certain game types: even Lightning -> HDMI has a slight lag, and AirPlay (AppleTV) has even more (seems to vary depending on the type of action being transmitted). Fine for racing in my view, and puzzles and strategy... not so good for twitch shooters or ultra-precise platformers. (Although the game parameters could be tweaked to help hide the lag for some actions.)

I love gaming from iOS to TV, and would love a controller, but I'm realistic about the limitations. iOS is best on its own screen. (Which would make portable controllers for iPhone/iPad Mini very tempting.)

Rating: 3 Votes

ikir

81 months ago

Hi mate!
If AppleTV itself runs the game, the only little lag would be on the controller itself. For iOS most action games would be lag free only on its screens, but official joypad support would be cool imho.

Rating: 3 Votes

afawcett

81 months ago

I hope they make a controller that looks more like the reference images. The Moga is fugly.

Rating: 2 Votes

ArtOfWarfare

81 months ago

With the way the Wii U is selling... Nintendo will have no choice but to release their games on iOS!

What makes you say that? Nintendo has enough cash on hand to run the company at a loss for several years. Nintendo and Apple are a lot alike - neither of them will ever compromise of having control of the entire system. If its their software, it's on their hardware, and if its on their hardware, it's been approved by them if it isn't by them.

Rating: 2 Votes

donutbagel

81 months ago

I don't understand anyone who says Apple needs an App Store or an SDK for the Apple TV. Both iOS and OS X already:

1 - Have app stores
2 - Have SDKs
3 - Can stream any content to an Apple TV

There's no need for the Apple TV to have an official App Store - all that Apple needs is for developers to start making more apps that can stream content to the Apple TV and to promote those apps.

Try streaming a game - or anything dynamic besides straight video - to the Apple TV.

Rating: 2 Votes