The First Apple-Certified iOS Gaming Controllers Need a Power-Up

It’s an exciting time to be an iOS gamer. This summer, Apple announced it was going to implement standards for iOS devices to interface with physical controllers, satisfying the demands of gamers who for years have wanted a more console-like way to play iOS games.

Yes, some of the genre’s biggest hits are wedded to the touch interface — Angry Birds, Flight Control, Dots — but there’s still a wealth of content that was originally made for consoles. Despite developers’ best attempts, physical controllers remain the ideal way to interface with these iOS ports. Unfortunately, judging from the first two offerings in this burgeoning ecosystem, mobile gamers will have to wait a bit longer for a gaming experience that lives up to the hype.

There are currently only two MFi, or Made for iPhone/iPod/iPad, controllers you can buy: Logitech’s Powershelland Moga’s Ace Power. The former includes four analog right-hand buttons, a D-pad, and two shoulder buttons, as well as a 1800 mAh battery, which rounds out the back panel. It’s amazingly solid-feeling, and Logitech got a lot of the small details right. The Lightning connector has a great deal of flex, making it easier to insert and remove the phone. There are also ports for the iPhone’s speakers, so the sound isn’t completely muffled by the case. Essentially, in button layout, the Powershell mimics the classic SNES controller design.

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