IT House news on April 11, according to the latest patent, Apple may be building its own gamepad for iPhone and iPad.
According to Patently Apple, Apple filed a related patent in Europe, which was published on March 31, 2022, under the number WO2022067344.
The patent shows that Apple is testing three gamepad styles. The first is the 6A, 6B, 6F, 6J in the patented figure, which looks a bit like the Switch's JoyCon controller, which can turn the iPhone and iPad into a portable gaming device, half of which can be connected to the Lightning interface, but it is not clear how the other half of the controller pairs with the iPhone, and Apple may use wireless means to connect.
The other handle is styled a bit like the Nintendo 3DS and may have a secondary screen to help users communicate text through a pop-up keyboard.
The third handle style is more traditional, but since this is not a design patent, the actual commercial product may look very different. The controller can be used with the Apple TV while providing a sliding switch that allows the user to launch game mode, messaging mode, or phone mode.
Of course, as a patent, whether Apple will actually launch a similar gamepad is still unknown, and IT House will keep an eye on it.