Apple is reportedly preparing to enter the game controller market with two accessories designed for the iPhone, but the products are expected to launch under the Beats brand rather than Apple’s own name.
According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple has been developing the controllers for more than a year as it looks to compete with the growing range of third-party gaming accessories available for iPhone. Gurman says he has consistently heard that the products are destined for Beats, with Beats executives leading their conception and engineering.
The report follows the recent discovery of references to two unreleased game controllers inside Apple’s software, providing evidence that the company has hardware in development. Gurman’s reporting now offers a clearer picture of how Apple intends to bring those accessories to market.
Using Beats would give Apple room to experiment in a product category where price, materials and gaming culture may not fit as naturally with its own hardware brand. Apple has increasingly expanded Beats beyond headphones, with the brand now offering products including iPhone cases and USB-C cables.
The strategy could also allow Apple to sell a controller at a more accessible price than might be expected from an Apple-branded accessory. Gurman says reaching a broad gaming audience would require the controller to remain relatively affordable, potentially ruling out some of the more expensive materials and finishes associated with Apple products.
Gaming has become a larger part of Apple’s ecosystem in recent years, with the company continuing to push console-quality titles across iPhone, iPad and Mac. A first-party-developed controller could give Apple tighter control over the experience while still allowing Beats to compete directly with established accessory makers.
The move would also come as Apple expands the role of the iPhone as a gaming device. The company’s new iPhone Duo, for example, places gaming among the key uses for its larger foldable display. The Apple Post’s complete iPhone Duo guide covers the new foldable’s hardware and software features in detail.
Neither Apple nor Beats has announced the controllers, and Gurman does not provide a launch date or pricing in the report. The existence of two controller references suggests Apple could be preparing more than one form factor or configuration, although the precise differences remain unclear.
If the products arrive under Beats as reported, they would mark another notable expansion for a brand once focused almost entirely on audio and give Apple a new route into the increasingly competitive mobile gaming accessory market.