Apple Begins Selling New Accessories, Including Updated Rotor Riot Game Controller for iPhone and iPad

Apple today began selling an updated version of the Rotor Riot game controller with newly added "Home" and "Options" buttons. The controller, designed for use with the iPhone and iPad, is priced at $49.99 on Apple's online store and delivers in one to two days.

2021 rotor riot game controller iphone
Rotor Riot is advertised as the only Lightning-connected, full-sized game controller available today. The direct Lightning connection ensures low latency and eliminates the need to wirelessly pair the controller to an iPhone or iPad, and the controller also lacks a battery since it is powered directly by the device it is connected to. The controller's built-in Lightning connector allows for pass-through charging of the iPhone or iPad during usage.

The controller continues to come with an optional "Zero Gravity device holder" in the box for use with the iPhone 6 and newer. A full list of devices compatible with the controller is available on Apple's online store.

The controller otherwise looks similar to the previous version, with analog left and right joysticks, digital A/B/X/Y buttons, digital L1 and R1 bumpers, analog L2 and R2 triggers, digital L3 and R3 clickable thumb-sticks, and a digital d-pad.

Other items added to Apple's online store this week include Mophie's portable MagSafe stand for iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 models, new AirTag key rings from OtterBox and Incase, a 128GB flash storage stick from SanDisk with both USB-C and Lightning connectors, an Incase sleeve for the MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro, and more.

Popular Stories

iOS 26 Feature

iOS 26.1 to iOS 26.4 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Saturday October 18, 2025 11:00 am PDT by
iOS 26 was released last month, but the software train never stops, and iOS 26.1 beta testing is already underway. So far, iOS 26.1 makes both Apple Intelligence and Live Translation on compatible AirPods available in additional languages, and it includes some other minor changes across the Apple Music, Calendar, Photos, Clock, and Safari apps. More features and changes will follow in future ...
ios 26 1 liquid glass opaque

iOS 26.1 Beta 4 Lets Users Control Liquid Glass Transparency with New Toggle

Monday October 20, 2025 10:57 am PDT by
With the fourth betas of iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, and macOS 26.1, Apple has introduced a new setting that's designed to allow users to customize the look of Liquid Glass. The toggle lets users select from a clear look for Liquid Glass, or a tinted look. Clear is the current Liquid Glass design, which is more transparent and shows the background underneath buttons, bars, and menus, while tinted ...
iPhone Siri Glow

Some Apple Employees Have 'Concerns' About iOS 26.4's Revamped Siri

Sunday October 19, 2025 7:39 am PDT by
iOS 26.4 is expected to introduce a revamped version of Siri powered by Apple Intelligence, but not everyone is satisfied with how well it works. In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said some of Apple's software engineers have "concerns" about the overhauled Siri's performance. However, he did not provide any specific details about the shortcomings. iOS 26.4 will...
iOS 26

iOS 26.0.2 Update for iPhones Coming Soon

Friday October 17, 2025 7:35 am PDT by
Apple's software engineers continue to internally test iOS 26.0.2, according to MacRumors logs, which have been a reliable indicator of upcoming iOS versions. iOS 26.0.2 will be a minor update that addresses bugs and/or security vulnerabilities, but we do not know any specific details yet. The update will likely be released by the end of next week. Last month, Apple released iOS 26.0.1,...
Apple iPad Pro hero M5

New iPad Pro Has Six Key Upgrades Beyond M5 Chip

Saturday October 18, 2025 10:57 am PDT by
While the new iPad Pro's headline feature is the M5 chip, the device has some other changes, including N1 and C1X chips, faster storage speeds, and more. With the M5 chip, the new iPad Pro has up to a 20% faster CPU and up to a 40% faster GPU compared to the previous model with the M4 chip, according to Geekbench 6 results. Keep in mind that 256GB and 512GB configurations have a 9-core CPU,...
maxresdefault

Here's How the iOS 26.1 Transparency Toggle Changes Liquid Glass

Monday October 20, 2025 1:55 pm PDT by
With the fourth beta of iOS 26.1, Apple added a toggle that makes Liquid Glass more opaque and reduces transparency. We tested the beta to see where the toggle works and what it looks like. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. If you have the latest iOS 26.1 beta, you can go to Settings > Display and Brightness to get to the new option. Tap on Liquid Glass, then...
iOS 26

What's New in iOS 26.1 Beta 4

Monday October 20, 2025 1:02 pm PDT by
Even though we're at the fourth beta of iOS 26.1, Apple is continuing to add new features. In fact, the fourth beta has some of the biggest changes that we'll get when iOS 26.1 releases to the public later this month. We've rounded up what's new below. Liquid Glass Transparency Toggle Apple added a toggle for customizing the look of Liquid Glass. In Settings > Display and Brightness,...
HomePod mini and Apple TV

Apple's Next Rumored Products: New HomePod Mini, Apple TV, and More

Thursday October 16, 2025 9:13 am PDT by
Apple on Wednesday updated the 14-inch MacBook Pro, iPad Pro, and Vision Pro with its next-generation M5 chip, but previous rumors have indicated that the company still plans to announce at least a few additional products before the end of the year. The following Apple products have at one point been rumored to be updated in 2025, although it is unclear if the timeframe for any of them has...
kohler toilet sensor

Kohler Launches $600 iPhone-Connected Toilet Camera That Monitors Your Health Through Waste Analysis

Monday October 20, 2025 1:42 pm PDT by
Kohler is expanding its line of bathroom products with Dekoda, an iPhone-connected device that's designed to be attached to a toilet rim (via The Verge). The device's included "sensors" point into the toilet bowl, allowing it to analyze what goes on in the bathroom. According to Kohler, Dekoda is a health tracker that can monitor gut health and hydration, as well as detect the presence of...

Top Rated Comments

fbr$ Avatar
52 months ago

The direct Lightning connection ensures low latency and eliminates the need to wirelessly pair the controller to an iPhone or iPad, and the controller also lacks a battery since it is powered directly by the device it is connected to.
My DualShock 4 works via USB-C cable on both my iPad Pro and MacBook Pro. It also has an internal battery and works via Bluetooth on any device, including my iPhone.

I don't see any advantage in a controller who only works via Lightning cable.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Neepman Avatar
52 months ago
I really dont get the lightning port / cable hatred. Its a billion times more robust and less subject to wear than USB-c. I would rather have the cable break that the internal tongue of the USB-c port. A lot of people are going to be in for a rude awakening a few years into their USB-c power ported devices.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Xenomorph Avatar
52 months ago
Lightning port. Oof.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
52 months ago
$49.99 not a bad price.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TinyMito Avatar
52 months ago

Lightning port. Oof.
Yeah why???

Xbox has USB-C.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Pro Apple Silicon Avatar
52 months ago

I really dont get the lightning port / cable hated. If a billion times more robust and less subject to wear than USB-c. I would rather have the cable break that the internal tongue of the USB-c port. A lot of people are going to be in for a rude awakening a few years into their USB-c power ported devices.
Well I guess that's debatable. Which is the more fragile design? Internal tongue, or internal contacts? Either of them can fail over time for different reasons.

I think the reason why Lightning is annoying people now is because it is holding back the "all in" move to USB-C that many people want to make. It is much like Netflix not being a part of the TV App. You can't have an "all in one" solution when the biggest player is missing.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)