During Apple's WWDC keynote, the company revealed that it would begin supporting MFi (Made for iPhone) certified gaming controllers. Since then, new details have emerged, suggesting that Apple is planning to partner with both Logitech and MOGA to work on the controllers.

Apple has thus far provided reference images displaying two different controller types; one that is a standalone handheld controller and another that is an iPhone enclosure. Kotaku today posted an image of the latter controller type, which the site says has been manufactured by Logitech.

firstmficontroller

With Steve Jobs no longer around to tell us these things aren't elegant enough for his device, it appears we'll finally get a proper gamepad for the iOS this year. This will be one of them, made by Logitech.

Can't tell you who gave it to us or where it was seen, but we can vouch for this image's authenticity. The controller is large enough to fit an iPhone 5. When iOS 7 introduces third-party controller support in the fall we'll see this thing, plus a bunch of others, probably. Apple evidently won't be making its own.

The image, which depicts what is probably an early prototype, shows a d-pad on the left side of the controller with a set of buttons on the right side. It looks fairly slim, and also sports a lightning connector. As our sister site TouchArcade points out, given the thriving iPhone and iPad accessory market, this is just the first of many controllers that will likely hit the market later this fall.

Top Rated Comments

hogo Avatar
163 months ago
He really sounded like a douche with that opener about jobs.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Jayse Avatar
163 months ago
The photo is blurry enough, so it must be legit!
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Technarchy Avatar
163 months ago
iPhone already has pretty beefy graphic pushing abilities. Apple can easily encroach on the Vita and DS with a proper controller for the iPhone.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
APlotdevice Avatar
163 months ago
totally aggree!

NES Controller is pretty much outdated for current games... wont buy it.

but i would like a dual analog controller to play fps. i dont like the "touchscreen analog stick" ****.
It's a SNES-like controller, not a NES controller. The latter only had two buttons and is indeed too basic for all but the simplest games today. The former though still works perfectly for 2D games, of which there are a plenitude on iOS. Also these controls could concivably be used in tandem with the touchscreen, which again I believe does an acceptable job for analog input. (if virtual "analog sticks" aren't your thing, then I'll just say that a touchscreen is basically the same technology as a trackpad, just with the addition of a display)
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
theelysium Avatar
163 months ago
No, no , no logitec!

It needs to be a FPS style like the WiiU Pro!

You can no longer game with an NES style controller! Two analog sticks under each thumb & the buttons below, done!
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
petsounds Avatar
163 months ago
Considering these were shown during a certain WWDC session, someone is seriously breaking their developer NDA by posting this. Their word obviously means nothing to them.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

top stories 2025 12 20

Top Stories: iOS 26.3 Beta, Major Apple Leaks, and More

Saturday December 20, 2025 6:00 am PST by
You'd think things would be slowing down heading into the holidays, but this week saw a whirlwind of Apple leaks and rumors while Apple started its next cycle of betas following last week's release of iOS 26.2 and related updates. This week also saw the release of a new Apple Music integration with ChatGPT, so read on below for all the details on this week's biggest stories! Top Stories i...
iPhone Top Left Hole Punch Face ID Feature Purple

iPhone 18 Pro Features Leaked in New Report, Including Under-Screen Face ID

Tuesday December 16, 2025 8:44 am PST by
Next year's iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max will be equipped with under-screen Face ID, and the front camera will be moved to the top-left corner of the screen, according to a new report from The Information's Wayne Ma and Qianer Liu. As a result of these changes, the report said the iPhone 18 Pro models will not have a pill-shaped Dynamic Island cutout at the top of the screen....
ios 18 security update

Don't Want to Upgrade to iOS 26? Here's How to Stay on iOS 18 [Update: Now Unavailable]

Friday December 19, 2025 10:37 am PST by
Since the beginning of December, Apple has been pushing iPhone users who opted to stay on iOS 18 to install iOS 26 instead. Apple started by making the iOS 18 upgrades less visible, and has now transitioned to making new iOS 18 updates unavailable on any device capable of running iOS 26. If you have an iPhone 11 or later, Apple is no longer offering new versions of iOS 18, even though there...
airpods pro 3 new blue

AirPods Pro 3's Static and Noise Issues Haven't Been Resolved

Thursday December 18, 2025 3:44 pm PST by
Since the AirPods Pro 3 launched, there have been complaints from users who have noticed a static-like sound or a crackling issue when using the earbuds, particularly when Active Noise Cancellation is on but no media is playing. Users have also run into strange high-pitched whistling sounds that happen intermittently. We shared the issues back in late October, and despite two subsequent...
apple music chatgpt

ChatGPT's Apple Music Integration Is Now Live

Wednesday December 17, 2025 3:50 pm PST by
There's now a dedicated Apple Music app for ChatGPT, which allows ChatGPT to make music recommendations and build playlists. Apple Music can be added to ChatGPT through the Settings section in the Mac app, website, or iOS app. Apple Music is listed under the apps option, and connecting to it requires signing in with your Apple Account for authorization purposes. ChatGPT can be used to...
samsung exynos 2600 2nm%402x

Samsung Announces World's First 2nm Mobile Chip Ahead of Apple

Friday December 19, 2025 3:59 am PST by
Samsung has officially unveiled the Exynos 2600, the world's first 2 nanometer mobile system-on-a-chip (SoC), built on the company's Gate-All-Around (GAA) process. The 10-core ARM-based design aims to deliver improved performance and efficiency for flagship devices like the upcoming Galaxy S26 series. The chip uses Arm's latest cores and supports new instructions for improved CPU speed and...
apple beta 26 lineup

Apple's 2026 and 2027 Product Roadmap: Foldable iPhone, iPhone 18 Pro, M5 Macs, and More

Tuesday December 16, 2025 4:42 pm PST by
There has been a whirlwind of rumors over the last few days, sourced from leaked internal software designed for the iPhone and the Mac, and news sites like The Information. Below, we have a quick recap of everything we've heard this week, which serves as a guide to Apple's product plans in 2026 and beyond. We've organized the info by likely release date, though there are some products that...
iOS 26 Maps Glass

Apple Quietly Discontinued Flyover City Tours in Apple Maps

Thursday December 18, 2025 1:31 pm PST by
Apple Maps no longer offers a Flyover feature that provides users with automated tours of notable landmarks in major cities. The Flyover option appears to have been nixed around when iOS 26 launched, but its removal went largely unnoticed. Flyover city tours were introduced in 2014 with iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite, using Flyover imagery to generate an aerial tour. Most cities with Flyover...