Apple CEO Tim Cook announced during their Worldwide Developers Conference that the Apple TV will support Xbox One and PlayStation 4 controllers. As the controller support for the Apple TV was announced on stage, it will be available for iPhones as part of the iOS 13 update that’s due for sometime this year.
Apple revealed the full list of features for the upcoming iOS 13 update which includes game controller usage. PlayStation 4 users will be able to use their PlayStation 4 controllers with their iPhone while Xbox One S users will be able to use those controllers specifically. The Xbox One S controllers are listed due to the fact the original Xbox One controllers do not contain Bluetooth support.
This reveal is particularly important as iOS devices could only pair only with some Bluetooth of MFi controllers. The change should be especially helpful for those who want to play certain games on the go such as Death Road to Canada, and Dead Cells when that comes out later.
The main reason for the controller support is because Apple will be launching its Apple Arcade subscription service this fall which will offer over 100 games to download and play through iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, and Mac.
Currently the games announced for the new service include Shantae 5, Lego Brawls, Sonic Racing, Hot Lava and Oceanhorn 2: Knights of the Lost Realm.
Overall this is an important feature to the iPhone as developers are more keen on putting their games onto the iOS, such as Fortnite and eventually Apex Legends. With the rise of cloud gaming, what other device would be perfect to play on the go, and as games become more accessible through mobile devices, making our current controllers work with our phones would be a step up.
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