Apple is reportedly working on a new game controller for the iPhone, and it may arrive under the Beats brand.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported in his Sunday Power On newsletter that Apple has been developing gaming controllers for the iPhone for more than a year as it looks to compete with third-party accessories already on the market.
Code discovered in iOS earlier this month pointed to two unreleased game controllers in development, but Gurman says the hardware is expected to be sold as Beats products.
According to Gurman, product engineering and development are being led by Beats executives. Apple has increasingly used Beats to move into accessory categories that may not fit as neatly under the main Apple brand.
That strategy has already expanded beyond headphones and speakers. Beats now sells iPhone cases and USB-C cables, giving Apple another brand it can use to compete in lower-priced accessory categories.
A gaming controller could fit that approach because it would likely need to be priced competitively against existing options from companies such as Backbone, Razer and GameSir.
Gurman says using Beats could also allow Apple to avoid some of the more expensive materials and finishes typically associated with Apple-branded hardware while still reaching a broad gaming audience.
Apple has been putting more attention on gaming across the iPhone, iPad and Mac in recent years, including support for console controllers and higher-end games on newer devices. One would think this controller might be tied to further promotion and integration with Apple Arcade.
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