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Apr 12, 2001
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Building on the success of its wireless Stratus controller, SteelSeries today introduced the Stratus XL, a full-sized gaming controller for the iPad, iPhone or iPod touch. Similar to its pocket-sized counterpart, the Stratus XL connects to your iOS device wirelessly through Bluetooth instead of the Lightning port.

stratus-xl-main.jpg

The Stratus XL features a larger, console controller-inspired design that provides room for two analog joysticks, a pressure-sensitive directional pad (D-pad), 4 pressure-sensitive action buttons and 4 shoulder buttons that include two trigger buttons.
"We have been working for well over a year now on perfecting the wireless controller experience for iOS devices. We have been incredibly impressed by the way the SteelSeries Stratus has been received by consumers so far and we are looking forward to introducing the Stratus XL to the iOS gaming community - who have been asking for a full-sized controller option," said Tino Soelberg, SteelSeries CTO. "The Stratus XL was designed to meet their demands, delivered with the premium features and top-to-bottom quality expected from SteelSeries."
The Stratus XL will support the same iOS 7 games as the original Stratus including Dead Trigger 2, Asphalt 8: Airborne, Bastion and more. The large format controller will debut later this year at a price that is yet to be announced. Customers can visit the Stratus XL product page and sign up to be notified when the product availability date and pricing are confirmed.

Article Link: SteelSeries Introduces Console Controller-Sized Stratus XL Game Controller
 

GeneralChang

macrumors 68000
Dec 2, 2013
1,671
1,502
Huh. I might actually buy this. It’ll depend on the price, of course, but I’m impressed by the design. This is exactly what I’ve been waiting for.
 

willcapellaro

macrumors 6502
Oct 20, 2011
345
6
Still waiting on lag-free AirPlay or cable to pull the trigger on anything like this. I am hoping iOS 8 makes that possible with peer-to-peer AirPlay, direct to my Apple TV.

Otherwise, I foresee a lot of crouching and squinting to play on a tiny screen.
 

jwbrobst

macrumors member
Apr 8, 2014
48
26
It can't be this hard for a company to make an iOS controller that doesn't look like crap.
 

2457282

Suspended
Dec 6, 2012
3,327
3,015
Still waiting on lag-free AirPlay or cable to pull the trigger on anything like this. I am hoping iOS 8 makes that possible with peer-to-peer AirPlay, direct to my Apple TV.

Otherwise, I foresee a lot of crouching and squinting to play on a tiny screen.

Agreed, but I would prefer even more if Apple pulled the trigger and allowed us to load games directly onto the Apple TV. That would be the best possible scenario.
 

mikethebigo

macrumors 68020
May 25, 2009
2,279
1,113
Combine this with a new Apple TV with an App Store and the Metal API... and suddenly Apple directly challenges current consoles.
 

Cougarcat

macrumors 604
Sep 19, 2003
7,766
2,553
Unfortunately this will be way too expensive due to MiFi licensing.

Apple should just roll in official console controller support without a jailbreak, but I don't see that happening.
 

bearda

macrumors 6502a
Dec 2, 2005
502
175
Roanoke, VA
Kind of interested, but it's hard to justify spending a significant amount on a mobile gaming controller when you can get an nVidia Shield for about $200 (which is a whole standalone device, with a display and HDMI out). Are there any standout games on iOS that support a controller that aren't on Android? From the compatibility list most of them seem cross-platform.
 

GeneralChang

macrumors 68000
Dec 2, 2013
1,671
1,502
Unfortunately this will be way too expensive due to MiFi licensing.

So, MiFi is a Novatel brand name used on their mobile hotspots. MFi is “made for iPhone/Pod/Pad” licensing. Not sure why, but this bugged me when I read it and I had to go look up what MiFi was. And then I thought I’d share. Now we’ve all learned something new!
 

stiligFox

macrumors 65816
Apr 24, 2009
1,480
1,319
10.0.1.3
I'm not 100% sure, but I believe that from now on MFi controllers designed for iOS 8 will also automatically work / be required to work with OS X Yosemite -- which would make the controller a whole lot more useful...

(Even though there are plenty of cheaper controllers that already work with OS X, at least this way it would allow one to have a controller for iOS AND OS X)
 

elev8d

macrumors 6502
Dec 9, 2008
340
102
The cost of bluetooth controller shouldn't exceed $60. But this is the first MFi controller that I've seen that actually looks worthwhile for an iPad. I'd love to see more of these come along.
 

Jessica Lares

macrumors G3
Oct 31, 2009
9,612
1,055
Near Dallas, Texas, USA
I'm not 100% sure, but I believe that from now on MFi controllers designed for iOS 8 will also automatically work / be required to work with OS X Yosemite -- which would make the controller a whole lot more useful...

(Even though there are plenty of cheaper controllers that already work with OS X, at least this way it would allow one to have a controller for iOS AND OS X)

Oooooh! I would LOVE that! Would be worth a $100 price tag for me. :D
 

WilliamLondon

macrumors 68000
Dec 8, 2006
1,699
13
Combine this with a new Apple TV with an App Store and the Metal API... and suddenly Apple directly challenges current consoles.

Yep, this is exactly what I think they have in the works. Not that gaming will be their main thrust with any new ATV, they wouldn't want to appear to go head-to-head against the games consoles (and they wouldn't want to), but to be able to offer gaming (iOS) style, but better (on the big screen in your living room, using a physical controller, with better than average iOS device graphics), they'll end up appealing to a huge swath of people who enjoy the casual gaming of iOS and either have a console they never turn on, or won't ever buy a dedicated gaming console. Yep, and can't wait!
 

Kobayagi

macrumors 6502a
Dec 18, 2012
918
2,075
Cool, a Xbox controller design with PS analog stick placement. ^^ Very innovative.
Anyway, like many of these controllers, they'll just be way too expensive compared to a Xbox or PS one, which are undoubtably better.
 

ikir

macrumors 68020
Sep 26, 2007
2,123
2,270
Very nice, i think i will buy one but for using mainly with OS X since it can use MFi controllers too.

----------

Oooooh! I would LOVE that! Would be worth a $100 price tag for me. :D

It already this way since 10.9 you can use any MFi controller.
 

0098386

Suspended
Jan 18, 2005
21,574
2,908
Combine this with a new Apple TV with an App Store and the Metal API... and suddenly Apple directly challenges current consoles.

And just now Ubisoft are showing off games for next gen systems that are beyond what any iDevice can do. What would the market be? Ouya has already shown the market doesn't care for playing mobile games on their TVs.

----------

Cool, a Xbox controller design with PS analog stick placement. ^^ Very innovative.
Anyway, like many of these controllers, they'll just be way too expensive compared to a Xbox or PS one, which are undoubtably better.

Crazy isn't it that these devices can cost so much, but previous console-gen controllers (with the same tech inside them) cost 2/3 less.
 

furi0usbee

macrumors 68000
Jul 11, 2008
1,790
1,381
WTF!!!! If I can use my wireless Wii U Pro controller with OpenEmu, what's the big ******* deal Apple? Why jump through hoops with new standards. Just let me connect a controller. If OpenEmu can do it, Apple can too!
 

Sky Blue

Guest
Jan 8, 2005
6,856
11
I'm not 100% sure, but I believe that from now on MFi controllers designed for iOS 8 will also automatically work / be required to work with OS X Yosemite -- which would make the controller a whole lot more useful...

was the same with mavericks
 

mw360

macrumors 68020
Aug 15, 2010
2,032
2,395
It can't be this hard for a company to make an iOS controller that doesn't look like crap.

Actually it can. The standard is set by the big players, Microsoft, Sony etc. and they spend a lot of money. Microsoft reportedly spent $100 million developing the XBone controller, which is on top of what they already spent on the previous 2 generations. No iOS third party can compete with that.
 

Icaras

macrumors 603
Mar 18, 2008
6,343
3,380
I like the fact that their options, but I love my original Stratus controller. I don't have large hands to begin with and it's so compact I can just drop it in my iPad bag and I'm off. I'll be keeping mine and not getting the XL but its good to know gamers have two sizes to choose from now. :)
 
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