by One upon a time, just a few weeks ago to be precise, your only options for a quality, Made-for-iPhone gaming controller were the peripherals from Logitech and MOGA that clamped onto your device. But if you’re used to gaming with a slightly more compact experience, today SteelSeries announced its Stratus controller for iOS 7, a wireless dual-stick controller that resembles the beloved gamepad for the Xbox.
It even features a lot of the features that console gamers are used to, such as the twin analog sticks mentioned above, as well as a D-Pad and a four buttons on the right face of the device. As MacRumors reports, its sister site TouchArcade had a chance to try out of the device, and while the reviewers were critical of the high price tag of $99 and the some comfort issues springing from the small design, they agreed that it the Stratus was “without a doubt the best controller [for iOS] out there.”
While the Stratus mainly works through Bluetooth instead of through the Lightning Adapter like Logitech and MOGA’s device, it still apparently performs admirably with Apple’s own Apple’s Lighting Digital AV Adapter.
In the words of TouchArcade, “Also, obviously, this begins to open the door to the strange new world that is treating your iPhone like a portable game console hooked up to your TV. You could technically do this with the Moga Ace Power and Logitech Powershell, but it required beaming your video output via AirPlay, which arguably is the least ideal of all possible solutions given the significant amounts of nearly unplayable lag AirPlay introduces. Wiring your iPhone or iPad direct to your TV via the Lightning Digital AV Adapter significantly mitigates this.”
The device is currently listed as “Coming Soon.” One advantage that the Stratus has over its Logitech and MOGA cousins is that it’s far better suited to iPad gaming as opposed to mere iPhone gaming.
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