Take this with a pinch of salt — but, AnandTech’s official review of the new iPad has some interesting comments about a possible ‘physical controller’ project Apple may be working on, in regards to the many gaming titles that are currently available for its iOS-powered devices.
Citing that they have learned of an “internal Apple project” that may be set to bring a “physical controller to market” AnandTech’s Vivek Gowr and Anand Lal Shimpi today noted that – whilst they are uncertain as to whether the project will “ever see the light of day,” – it does exist.
The report noted:
Although many casual Android/iOS games do just fine with touch, some are certainly better suited for some sort of a controller. While controller support in Android in its infancy at best, it’s more than iOS currently offers. I know of an internal Apple project to bring a physical controller to market, but whether or not it will ever see the light of day remains to be seen. As smartphones and tablets come close to equalling the performance of current game consoles, I feel like the controller problem must be addressed.
Adding to the story, 9to5Mac highlights that this isn’t the first time we’ve heard of something like this. In fact, Apple itself filed this patent at the USPTO back in 2010, which specifically covers the possible idea of having a physical games controller which could attach (or be built-in) to a future model of the iPhone.
What do you think? — Does Apple need a separate “DS”-like game controller for its iOS devices, or do the devices themselves – with their easy-to-use multi-touch interface – sufficiently suit the purpose of controlling games on the iOS platform, already?
