As Google looks to carve its own space in the gaming industry with the impending release of the Stadia, so too does their nearest smartphone competitor, Apple, with their own offering of Apple Arcade.
And while we have seen Google flaunt their shiny new controller exclusive to the Stadia, we’ve yet to see something from Apple in terms of hardware for their Arcade gaming service. The tech giant is reportedly spending upwards to hundreds of millions for the upcoming service, but it’s important to note that most of the budget is reportedly going to creative companies in order to secure IPs for Arcade. We have no idea if Apple is planning to pull a fast one in the hardware department, possibly showing off their very own controller exclusive only to the service. I mean, it’s Apple; if they don’t make an overpriced device exclusive to Arcade it’d be unlike them.
That said, most users had to stick to MFi (Made For iOS) devices if they want more intuitive controls for their games. This is about to change, however, with the announcement of tvOS 13 made by Tim Cook during WWDC 2019.
During Apple’s time on the stage, Cook unveiled the tvOS 13, its newest smart TV platform. This platform is vastly improved over its predecessor, noting several upgrades – the most notable one, however, comes from the fact that you can now connect Apple TVs with both the Xbox One and the PlayStation 4 DualShock 4 controllers, with compatibility specifically made for Apple Arcade.
While it seems incredibly un-Apple to announce compatibility with other devices, I must admit that the news is a welcome one. The fact that Apple, of all entities, managed to snag support for two of the most well-known controllers in the market today and not Google is a pretty big achievement in and of itself.
That’s not even mentioning that it makes the Arcade service a much more preferable platform now, if you compare it to Stadia in terms of viability. If you already own an Xbox One or DualShock 4 controller, getting into Arcade is a lot simpler than Stadia, simply because you already have the hardware necessary for it.
That’s all subject to change, though, if Google announces compatibility for both controllers on their Stadia platform as well. We hope to know more as Google will hold the first Stadia Connect event this Thursday. Stay tuned for our coverage on that as the news drops.
