In case you’re still reeling from the news that Apple is charging $999 for a monitor stand, it may be worth it to take a breath and remember some good news. Apple CEO Tim Cook himself revealed at the WWDC 2019 keynote that the company’s platforms will support two of the most popular current controllers in games. In going through the new features of tvOS, Cook namedropped the DualShock 4 and the Xbox One S controllers, stating that their Apple TV box will support them in tvOS 13 update.
Keep in mind that this applies to Xbox One controllers with Bluetooth, meaning the newer ones that come with the Xbox One S and Xbox One X, and not the original controller; I’d hope that this would include the Adaptive Controller. All DualShock 4 models out of the box should work, the DualShock 4, of course, being a controller so mighty that some video game news website decided to name itself after it.
This comes as a relief, as any person serious about gaming on a box and a television likely already owns one or both of these controllers. Apple never got serious about designing their own controller, rather depending on their touch remote and a number of third-party MiFi controllers. With Apple Arcade on the horizon, and with a new game-ready iPod Touch having been announced, core audiences are probably reluctant to put in money for a new controller that might not be up to their standards, making this announcement a pleasant surprise.
Though not initially made clear, support for these two controllers will also come to the iOS 13 update coming this fall. Again, those playing Fortnite on mobile won’t have to depend on MiFi controllers anymore. The news is even more significant for an unstated reason—with the new PS4 Remote Play app, and Steam Link finally making its way to iOS and tvOS (and iPad OS, since that’s a separate thing now, I guess), Apple customers will finally be able to use their Xbox and PlayStation controllers for these services. Beta testers for the new Apple firmware have confirmed that these controllers work for these apps.
So want a good controller for your Apple device? You probably have one already. Unfortunately, the public will have to wait, as the new firmware for iOS and tvOS is only in beta, with a public release coming sometime in the fall, as is Apple Arcade.
The post iOS 13 and tvOS 13 to Support DualShock 4 and Xbox One S Controllers in Time for Apple Arcade by Chris Compendio appeared first on DualShockers.