SteelSeries Launches Wireless Controller for Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) Mobile Devices
After the initial uninspired attempts to produce a comfortable gaming controller for its mobile devices, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) seems to be taking a more serious stance on the matter. SteelSeries, a manufacturer of gaming peripherals of some renown, announced the launch of its official iOS wireless gaming controller.
The gadget is marketed as the Stratus and comes with your standard D-pad, twin analog sticks, and eight buttons total on its face and shoulders. Working with controller-enabled titles and iOS 7 and up, the Stratus is up for preorder with a solid $100 price tag. Devoted iPad gamers will be able to get up to 10 hours of battery life while mashing away at shooters such as Dead Trigger or the newly ported Grant Theft Auto: San Andreas, while enjoying the sharper, tactile controls the device should offer.
Previous attempts to make a controller working with Apple’s gamepad driver were met with unfavorable reviews criticizing build quality of offerings from Moga and Logitech. SteelSeries will really need to deliver in terms of build, feel and comfort to justify the steep price, which is cranked up to 100 Euros for European customers.
The ad video and review pictures show a device that may prove to be too small for people with larger palms and too straining on the hands over extended sessions. According to official specs released by the manufacturer the controller will be a 4.3 by 2.6 inch build. The Stratus ships in the first days of March.
AAPL seem reluctant to devote its own resources to producing a controller of its own. An in-house effort would be a much more demanding in terms of end customers expectations, and one that would require significant resources for a relatively niche market, so one can’t really blame Apple for dumping this responsibility in the hands of a reasonably popular peripheral maker such as SteelSeries. Still, considering the hefty $100 price tag, the controller may have a hard time gaining traction.
