The latest video game subscription service is set to arrive on September 19, 2019, and it will mostly appeal to mobile gamers. Apple Arcade offers players over 100 games (which will all gradually roll out this fall and probably grow beyond that) and will cost $5 per month and, as you might expect, is only available to iOS users. For those interested in more hardcore ways to engage with mobile games, you might be wondering if you can use a controller with Apple Arcade. Here is everything you need to know about Apple Arcade controllers.
Apple Arcade Controllers | Can you use Xbox One and PlayStation 4 controllers?
As it turns out, Apple Arcade controllers are a thing, sort of. There isn’t a specific Apple gaming controller (thankfully, because it would probably cost a fortune), however, players can connect specific controllers via Bluetooth to their devices in order to play games with a controller.
ALSO: Apple spending over $500 million for Apple Arcade games
At its core, Apple Arcade is a mobile gaming platform, and is also designed to work with Apple TV and Macs, which are devices that don’t support the use of a touchscreen. Since Apple Arcade extends beyond iPhone and iPads, there are a handful of Xbox One and PlayStation 4 compatible controllers that will work with Apple Arcade. In addition to specific iOS controllers, if you own a third-party Xbox One and PlayStation 4 controller that supports Bluetooth connection, there is a good chance it will work with as an Apple Arcade controller.
First-party controllers will work with Apple Arcade but only Bluetooth ones. This includes all official DualShock 4 controllers and some Xbox One controllers. Only Xbox One controllers made at and after the Xbox One S launch have Bluetooth. It’s tricky to figure out what version you have but it is possible at a glance. If the plastic around the guide button shares the same shiny plastic with the bumpers, it does not have Bluetooth. If the guide button shares the plastic with the face plate, it has Bluetooth. The Switch controllers are also Bluetooth.
However, we won’t have a complete list until the service launches and different controllers can be tested so it is possible that some of these won’t work. Additionally, it will also be a toss up concerning what games do and don’t support controllers.
