Sam Oliver
Accessory maker Razer is the latest to release an Apple-sanctioned Made for iPhone controller, but its new accessory boasts a unique and thin slide-out design. And gamepads like Razer's new Junglecat will become even more powerful with iOS 8, gaining the ability to remotely control titles on iPad and Mac.
The Razer Junglecat is outfitted with a D-pad, face buttons of "A," "B," "X," and "Y," plus "L" and "R" bumper buttons. The physical controls are part of a slide-out pad that connects to the top half of the controller encasing an iPhone 5 or iPhone 5s.
Razer boasts that the new controller offers open access to all of the iPhone's ports and buttons. It connects to the iPhone via Lightning, and is designed to be as pocketable as possible for gaming on the go.
The Razer Junglecat is available for preorder now, and like prior Made for iPhone gaming controllers, it is priced at $99.99. It will join the three other Apple-approved gaming controllers on the market: the Moga Ace Power and Logitech PowerShell case-style accessories, and the completely wireless, compact SteelSeries Stratus.
Announcement of Razer's offering comes as Apple revealed to developers this week that iOS 8 will include a new "controller forwarding" feature. This will allow iPhone-only controllers, such as the Junglecat, Ace Power and PowerShell, to wirelessly connect to an iPhone or Mac.
With official Made for iPhone controllers carrying a hefty $100 price tag, this new feature would add value to the accessories, making them compatible with a wider array of devices.
Apple also announced that iOS 8 will give developers the ability to utilize the iPhone's touch screen and motion control input as a controller for titles running separately on an iPhone or Mac. Those features could also pave the way for console-style gaming on an Apple TV, if Apple's set-top box were to be updated with support for native apps.
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12 Comments
Its going to a take a much better initiative than what we've seen to have any chance of MFi controllers taking off.
No analog sticks for $99?
if you game you need analog sticks and d pad...come on...
I can afford $99 but it seems a bit steep for a controller. $69 would be more in order. I don't know what components would be driving up the cost to $99. Mfi tax? The Junglecat is definitely a nice compact design specific for the iPhone but I'd just as soon use my Playstation six-axis because its very comfortable and built to last. Anyway, I think Apple is doing a decent job of offering the API for controllers of all sorts. It's about time. Now all Apple has to do is get some exclusive games to make the platform popular.
Xperia Play knockoff, though that at least had analog 'nubs'.