Apple Is Finally Working on an Official iPhone Controller

2 hours ago 3

Published Sep 14, 2026, 10:46 AM EDT

The company is looking to compete with the many third party game controllers for its platform

Apple may finally be entering the game controller business. According to Bloomberg, the company is currently working on an official game controller for iPhone. Apple reportedly has two controllers in development and has been working on the peripherals for more than a year to compete with the many third-party options for mobile.

Instead of releasing the new iPhone controller under its main brand, Apple will do so through its subsidiary Beats, with Beats executives leading product engineering and design. Apple has used Beats to create products that wouldn’t always fit the premium aesthetic of the Apple brand. For the iPhone controller to reach a large audience, it would likely need to avoid some of the more expensive materials that the company typically uses on its products. Apple also reportedly views these peripherals as something that would naturally fit under the Beats umbrella.

Why has it taken so long for Apple to create an official controller?

Under Steve Jobs’ leadership, Apple had a somewhat contentious relationship with gaming, with legendary Doom programmer John Carmack once saying, “The truth is Steve Jobs doesn’t care about games.” Whether true or not, it was a common perception that gaming wasn't a high priority under a Jobs-led Apple.

That said, since 2019, the company has offered Apple Arcade, a subscription service that gives players access to a large library of mobile games for $49.99 a year. Considering many of the games offered on the service play dramatically better with a physical controller, it makes sense for Apple to offer its own first-party option. The iPhone currently supports a long list of third-party controllers, from peripherals that clamp onto the device to turn it into a traditional handheld to existing options like the DualShock 4, DualSense, Xbox Wireless Controller, Joy-Cons, and Nintendo Switch Pro Controller.

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