SteelSeries Offers up to Four Months of Apple Arcade Free With Nimbus+ Controller [Updated]

[MacRumors]

SteelSeries, the makers of popular gaming controllers for Apple devices, has today announced that all purchases of the Nimbus+ Wireless Gamepad Controller will come with up to four free months of Apple Arcade.

The SteelSeries Nimbus+ Wireless Gamepad Controller delivers a "console-quality experience" with Apple Arcade's library of games.

Iterating on the original Nimbus controller, the Nimbus+ Wireless Gamepad Controller features an ergonomic design, ultra-responsive triggers and buttons, and a range of Apple connectivity options to work with Phone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac, and Apple TV. The Nimbus+ adds a range of new features, including clickable joysticks, new Hall effect triggers, and a 50-hour battery life. The Nimbus+ also features an optional iPhone mount to allows users to directly attach their iPhone to the controller.

SteelSeries notes that the Nimbus+ controller comes with up to four months of Apple Arcade, which may indicate that some subscribers who have already redeemed their one-month-long free trial may be eligible for a shorter, three month period of free Apple Arcade.

The Nimbus+ controller is available now for $69.99 USD at steelseries.com, the Apple online store, and other participating retailers, including up to four free months of Apple Arcade.

Update: SteelSeries has now clarified that Nimbus+ customers will receive a code to redeem three free months of Apple Arcade, on top of Apple's one-month free trial. Existing Apple Arcade subscribers will still be able to redeem the code for three free months of the service.

Article Link: SteelSeries Offers up to Four Months of Apple Arcade Free With Nimbus+ Controller [Updated]

 

[mihirdelirious]

Overpriced controller, not even close to the Xbox Series Controller in terms of comfort & features

 

[blcamp]

Not sure I want to buy another one of these. They felt and played great, for about 2 years... then became unusable when the battery could no longer hold a charge.

 

[Powerguru]

What has world come to? That’s what it takes to play video games on a iPhone and head buried. Pass.

 

[Lemon Olive]

It's pretty sad that Apple has an ecosystem of screens at all different sizes and use cases, powered by chips more powerful than any console or your average gaming PC...and yet still cannot get real commitment from AAA game developers to produce console games for the Apple ecosystem.

What the hell is missing from this equation?

 

[genovelle]

Not sure I want to buy another one of these. They felt and played great, for about 2 years... then became unusable when the battery could no longer hold a charge.

Mine literally died 2 days ago. I believe my son hooked it up to a cheap 3rd part iphone charger I bought in an emergency a few weeks ago. It stopped working the same day.

 

[cateye]

A hacky, poorly-made, unbalanced controller for people who don't actually like playing games, and Apple Arcade... match made in heaven, really.

What the hell is missing from this equation?

Even the most basic-level understanding of A-level gaming, its developers, or those of us with houses full of Apple products... except for our gaming rigs.

powered by chips more powerful than any console or your average gaming PC

Nintendo says hi. Low-end hardware with beloved game franchises. Knowing your audience and having a razor-like focus on funding and nurturing developer relationships to create the best games possible—that leverage the hardware you choose to build—produces art. Apple sees games as a moneybox they can punch as needed, content to fold people into their low-value "game" subscription or collect 30% of every in-app purchase of bags o' gems. Doesn't matter to Apple as they don't take that audience seriously. The problem is endemic and company-wide.

Top-tier game developers don't work with Apple because Apple doesn't want to work with them. Simple.

 

[mihirdelirious]

It's pretty sad that Apple has an ecosystem of screens at all different sizes and use cases, powered by chips more powerful than any console or your average gaming PC...and yet still cannot get real commitment from AAA game developers to produce console games for the Apple ecosystem.

If you're implying the A series or M1 chips are faster/more powerful than the latest Xbox Series or the PS5 consoles, it isn't true. I think it takes a lot more effort & commitment to run a successful gaming platform like Nintendo or Xbox or Playstation. Besides, Apple's heavy-handed approach in what should and shouldn't be in a video game's content doesn't help either. Fundamentally, Apple doesn't respect video games nor does Apple consider games as Art. They just want to milk the market, but their target demographic is too passionate, vocal & hardcore.

 

[Chester Stone]

"clickable joysticks"

Is this supposed to be a feature? Nothing reeks of non-gamer-centric design than ambiguous controls.🙄

You could be totally engrossed in a game, find yourself one with the protagonist, mashing the joystick in a crazy chase or race, and then, with all your desperate force on it, click the joystick.

If you've ever whistled in Sword/Shield while biking around, you'd know. You don't even have to be a hardcore gamer.

Such a horrible design choice.💩

 

[ErvGotti85]

What has world come to? That’s what it takes to play video games on a iPhone and head buried. Pass.

I am not even sure what the point of this question is. You have to remember certain games were ported to iOS who’s touch controls can’t be implemented as well as traditional controls like Sonic the hedgehog.

 

[MysticCow]

I wonder if I could play Fortnite with this controll--OH WAIT!!!

 

[jscro]

I ordered one of these for my kid and it's been replaced 6 times for being faulty. Buyer beware.

In their defense, they didn't even ask questions after the first two went bad and would just immediately give me a code to get a new one shipped out from their website anytime I submitted a help request.

 

[mxjcmxjc]

Grab yourself a Backbone One Controller while it is a bit pricey it's worth every penny if you're gaming on the go.

Edit: Grammar

 

[JCCL]

It's pretty sad that Apple has an ecosystem of screens at all different sizes and use cases, powered by chips more powerful than any console or your average gaming PC...and yet still cannot get real commitment from AAA game developers to produce console games for the Apple ecosystem.

What the hell is missing from this equation?

The GPU is not even close to XSX or PS5 performance, or the latest PC GPU's, but still they could deliver very strong performance. If Nintendo manages to sell like pancakes weak hardware like the Switch, they could do it as well.

Guess Apple has failed to attract AAA developers, but also developing for it would be challenging as PC, XSX, and PS5 all share x86 architecture while the ARM architecture is very different. The Switch has made it mostly because of the 1st party offering, which Apple obviously lacks. Also when developers tried to experiment with higher priced games, I don't think they were received very well (like the shortlived Bioshock port on iOS) so maybe there's part of that too.

It's a whole different market. Most iOS users don't want to pay 60-70 bucks for a game, but also hardcore gamers don't want to game in an iOS device.

 

[BulkSlash]

I wish SteelSeries would do more colours. I’ve still got my white Nimbus which looks really great and works really well in Provenance. In fact I feel like playing another round of Super Mario World now…

 

[Hessian]

Overpriced controller, not even close to the Xbox Series Controller in terms of comfort & features

I was wondering how these compare to Xbox, which is usually the most comfortable I have seen.

 

[ikir]

Nimbus+ is one of the worst device I ever bought. Design is terrible: buttons for standby/turn off are stupid on tvOS, lightning port works with few games, to update firmware (the launch one was bugged) you need a software which is horrible on macOS or Windows. I hope Apple release their own controller. I have 4 nimbus+ for co-op games on tvOS, but I regret original nimbus.

 

[TVreporter]

Was interested in this controller but the countless negative reviews on Amazon deterred me. Grabbed a PS4 controller instead for Apple Arcade.

 

[ericwn]

I have the original one in use with my iPad mostly and it’s a really nice controller.

 

[femike]

Overpriced controller, not even close to the Xbox Series Controller in terms of comfort & features

I totally disagree with this. I have both controllers and the Nimbus is the most comfortable by far. It is very well designed and made (offset joysticks are not a factor here). Haven't tried the PS5 controller yet. Ideally I would like the PS5 feastures inside the Nimbus controller. However its going hard to compete with the PS/xbox controllers as they are everywhere and most don't know anything else.

 

[SFjohn]

Grab yourself a Backbone One Controller while it is a bit pricey it's worth every penny if you're gaming on the go.

Edit: Grammar

That looks cool, I might try one.

 

[Apple2GS]

I'm holding out for the Nimbus 2000.

 

[mihirdelirious]

I'm holding out for the Nimbus 2000.

Yeah, my uncle from Azkaban had one for a while. But I personally find the Firebolt to be more comfortable.

 

[Tsubame]

I have always appreciated that SteelSeries has pretty good mac support, I just bought one of their keyboards and was pleasantly surprised the full software configuration suite was available for the Mac and works well.

While I like their stuff generally this...just seems silly. I know a lot of people use the phone-controller thing, but it will never look not ridiculous to me. When I want to play games, I do it on my PS5 or Mac, my phone has never really been a gaming device.