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iOS 14 Supports Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 and Adaptive Controller

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Apple's WWDC developer sessions continue to trickle out more details about new features in its latest operating systems for mobile and desktop, including new gamepad support in iOS 14.

During its keynote on Monday, Apple said support for Xbox's Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 and Adaptive Controller were coming in tvOS 14, and a WWDC session on Wednesday has confirmed that this support extends to iOS 14 and iPadOS 14.

gaming-motion-sensor-support-ipados-12.jpg

The session covers support for the Dual Shock's touchpad and lightbar, the Xbox Elite's paddles, zone-based rumble haptics, and motion sensors. In addition, game developers will be able to take advantage of OS-level controller button remapping, as well as readymade button glyphs for use in game interfaces.
Let's rumble! Discover how you can bring third-party game controllers and custom haptics into your games on iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV. We'll show you how to add support for the latest controllers — including Xbox's Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 and Adaptive Controller — and map your game's controls accordingly. Learn how you can use the Game Controller framework in tandem with Core Haptics to enable rumble feedback. And find out how you can take your gaming experience to the next level with custom button mapping, nonstandard inputs, and control over specialty features like motion sensors, lights, and battery level.
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ios-14-controller-support.jpg


Another exciting highlight for game developers is keyboard and mouse support for gaming on iPadOS. Apple is letting developers finally add keyboard, mouse, and trackpad control options. While touch is obviously preferred for most iOS games, it opens the door for games like Civilization VI to add support for this in future updates.

And with future Macs powered by Apple Silicon able to run iPhone and iPad apps natively, we could see mobile games fully prepped for desktop peripheral use in macOS Big Sur.

Article Link: iOS 14 Supports Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 and Adaptive Controller
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2020/06/25/ios-14-supports-xbox-elite-controller/
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I use my PS4 controller on my iPad.. I'm really glad they're widening support for different types. Apple Arcade has been pretty wonderful for me.. Even outside of native iOS games.. Steam mirroring + a controller is incredibly slick too. Playing No Man's Sky at my PC's full power via my iPad's lovely screen around the house. 😅
 
MacRumors said:


Apple's WWDC developer sessions continue to trickle out more details about new features in its latest operating systems for mobile and desktop, including new gamepad support in iOS 14.

During its keynote on Monday, Apple said support for Xbox's Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 and Adaptive Controller were coming in tvOS 14, and a WWDC session on Wednesday has confirmed that this support extends to iOS 14 and iPadOS 14.

gaming-motion-sensor-support-ipados-12.jpg

The session covers support for the Dual Shock's touchpad and lightbar, the Xbox Elite's paddles, zone-based rumble haptics, and motion sensors. In addition, game developers will be able to take advantage of OS-level controller button remapping, as well as readymade button glyphs for use in game interfaces.
ios-14-controller-support.jpg


Another exciting highlight for game developers is keyboard and mouse support for gaming on iPadOS. Apple is letting developers finally add keyboard, mouse, and trackpad control options. While touch is obviously preferred for most iOS games, it opens the door for games like Civilization VI to add support for this in future updates.

And with future Macs powered by Apple Silicon able to run iPhone and iPad apps natively, we could see mobile games fully prepped for desktop peripheral use in macOS Big Sur.

Article Link: iOS 14 Supports Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 and Adaptive Controller
Click to expand...

what about MacOS Big Sur?
 
MacRumors couldn't find a picture with an Xbox controller being used on the iPad? They use a picture showing a Playstaion controller, lol.
 
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Controller support is awesome, but it's really cumbersome to have to re-pair every time I want to switch between an Apple TV/iPad/iPhone and I'm not gonna buy 3 controllers just so each device can have their own.

I think it's a limitation of the controller always locking to one device, but it'd be nice to see Apple make their own with one of their AirPods chips that makes it easy to switch devices.
 
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This is great news, BUT they're killing PPSSPP (PSP), UTM (WinXP games), DolphiniOS (Gamecube/Wii) and other emulators that rely on JIT hacks with iOS 14. Will have to refrain from updating until new ways to use JIT are found, playing upscaled Gamecube and PSP games on iPad is fantastic and in my opinion way better than Apple Arcade can ever offer.
 
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This reads like it's part of a broader deal with Microsoft: Microsoft support for apple silicon (office, windows, etc) in exchange for Apple support for the new xbox controller to encourage xbox adoption and cross-platform game development for both systems.

The controller pairing issue is a controller issue (hardware-software) but a nextgen controller might do a better job of "remembering" 2-3 previously-paired systems so it's not such of a pain each time to go from xbox to ipad to mac to xbox.
 
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I assume the reference to Civ is about mouse/trackpad? Because it already supports keyboard.

Apple also added button remapping, and glyphs for the button labels in the SF Symbols font. They are making things easier for developers.

This stuff, the new Game Center, Apple Arcade, the new ray-tracing GPU for Apple Silicon, and their approaches to studios to get AAA titles- seems to me apple finally noticed that the gaming industry can add a lot to its revenue if they only took it seriously. In about a year things should be very interesting.
 
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So is nobody going to mention the Thunderbolt 3 cable plugged into this iPad Pro?

Given how buttoned-up these presentations are, it seems unlikely someone would have been allowed to just grab any USB-C capable cable. Surely they realize using this instead of a typical USB-C cable creates some small speculation.
 
cmaier said:
I assume the reference to Civ is about mouse/trackpad? Because it already supports keyboard.

Apple also added button remapping, and glyphs for the button labels in the SF Symbols font. They are making things easier for developers.

This stuff, the new Game Center, Apple Arcade, the new ray-tracing GPU for Apple Silicon, and their approaches to studios to get AAA titles- seems to me apple finally noticed that the gaming industry can add a lot to its revenue if they only took it seriously. In about a year things should be very interesting.
Click to expand...

Do we actually have indication that full AAA titles are coming? And not mobile adaptations like CoD mobile?
 
mnsportsgeek said:
Controller support is awesome, but it's really cumbersome to have to re-pair every time I want to switch between an Apple TV/iPad/iPhone and I'm not gonna buy 3 controllers just so each device can have their own.

I think it's a limitation of the controller always locking to one device, but it'd be nice to see Apple make their own with one of their AirPods chips that makes it easy to switch devices.
Click to expand...

I would like to introduce you to 8BitDo. You turn the controller on with start and then press A, B, X, or Y to select a pair mode. Once you pair your devices with a button you just select the mode you want when you turn the controller on and boom, no having to go into setting and repair as you move from device to device.
 
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Another exciting highlight for game developers is keyboard and mouse support for gaming on iPadOS. Apple is letting developers finally add keyboard, mouse, and trackpad control options.
Click to expand...

I think this is really cool.
Apple seems to be sort of ”coming in from the side” when it comes to gaming (beyond touch) on their devices. We'll se how it goes. Sounds like it will eventually bode well for Mac gaming too.

What I am thinking about is the aspect ratio of the iPad being 4:3. I think it would feel a bit strange to play ”computer games” on a display that isn't at least 16:9. I mean we're not in the 1990s have we not? :)

But I guess nothing stops Apple from release an iPad with a 16:9 display.
 
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As others have said, I wish the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller were supported. Any idea why it isn’t? Would that be more based on lack of interest from Apple or Nintendo?
 
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jent said:
As others have said, I wish the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller were supported. Any idea why it isn’t? Would that be more based on lack of interest from Apple or Nintendo?
Click to expand...

My guess is that support for Xbox and PS controllers is due to the presumption of high numbers of 360 and PS3 controllers out in the field. And supporting those controllers means you also support the newer One and PS4 controllers. (And yes, I realize the 360 isn't Bluetooth but it uses similar mapping.)
 
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