Apple has a history of being stingy about the types of Bluetooth devices it would let sync to iPads and iPhones, especially when it comes to game controllers. That's changed a little, recently, and as of the brand new beta for iOS 16, Apple devices can connect to Nintendo controllers right out of the box. After iOS 16's beta release dropped following the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference yesterday, an app developer noticed that the Nintendo Switch Pro controller natively worked. Joy-Cons also pair seamlessly, and can be used as two separate controllers, or as one complete controller, a notable detail, as other devices have struggled to recognize two Joy-Cons as one controller in the past. iOS 16 is currently available in beta, with a scheduled release for later this Fall.

!!! iOS 16 natively supports Nintendo Switch Pro Controllers!!

Can confirm they work perfectly with Delta 😍 pic.twitter.com/p8u1sdjvTt

— Riles 🫡 (@rileytestut) June 6, 2022

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[Flame]

now for apple fanboys to claim iPhones had Joy-Cons support before everyone else.... even Nintendo.

 

[AngryCinnabon]

I don't use apple products like at all, last product i had that was apple was the original Iphone SE, but this is sure as hell neat! there's an app on android that allows joycons to be used combined but it's paid and kinda shady. maybe this means something for apple and gaming? who knows!

 

[xkoeckiiej]

now for apple fanboys to claim iPhones had Joy-Cons support before everyone else.... even Nintendo.

Did you know Apple was the first to support Joycons, not even the old Nintendo consoles supported it. Another reason to buy Apple!

 

[Rahkeesh]

now for apple fanboys to claim iPhones had Joy-Cons support before everyone else.... even Nintendo.

Personally I find it frustrating that Valve cannot be bothered. Joy-cons are amazing for lazy exercise and I'd rather be enjoying PC games with them.

At least with an iOS 16 Apple TV you should be able use joy-cons via SteamLink or Moonlight. Maybe I'd even sub to the dumb Arcade for a month to play through Fantasian that way since it seems stuck there.

I don't use apple products like at all, last product i had that was apple was the original Iphone SE, but this is sure as hell neat! there's an app on android that allows joycons to be used combined but it's paid and kinda shady. maybe this means something for apple and gaming? who knows!

I'm pretty skeptical of Apple gaming but I have to admit, they bothered to name-drop Baldur's Gate 3 when advertising their latest macbook air, and also used RE8 to show off their own upscaling tech. Too bad they are tripling down on Metal and their mobile ecosystem instead of something friendlier to core game devs like Vulkan.

 

[playstays_shun]

with a nice attachment case this would probably be great!

Apple A-series chips are ahead of the pack, and though its locked down, if you get a jailbreak or use the available side load-able emu apps, its a good solution

Better than an actual switch by leaps and bounds performance wise

 

[eyeliner]

Might this be heralded as the birth of the “Switpple“?
As closed as Apple is and Nintendo is becoming even more strict with access, who knows? Maybe we'll see a partnership between these two.

 

[Marc_LFD]

Might this be heralded as the birth of the “Switpple“?
As closed as Apple is and Nintendo is becoming even more strict with access, who knows? Maybe we'll see a partnership between these two.

And thanks to those brands, they'd get away pricing phones at $5k and consoles at $3k. 😐

Apple and Nintendo products are great, in my opinion, but the loyalists are retards to actually buy at rip-off prices.

 

[RyRyIV]

Nice. I can't believe iPhones had Joy-Con support before anyone else. Even Nintendo!

 

[nikeymikey]

Personally I'm surprised at this as Joy Cons are the WORST controllers on any console EVER!! They are cheaply made, overpriced, too small and generally just bad.

I know I'm gonna get flamed for this but hey its my opinion and it aint gonna change. I've bought 4 set of the damn things for my kids in the last 3 years due to stick drift mainly. I still have original NES controllers that work perfectly and are 30+ years old, yet in 2022 Nintendo cant make a controller that lasts a year before its broken.

Switch is the worst Nintendo console since the Virtual Boy. C'mon Ninty give us a proper home console and a SEPERATE handheld, like the old days without any of this hybrid bullshit.

 

[Scarlet]

Oh interesting. I’d love a joy con grip for the iPhone.

 

[diggeloid]

Personally I find it frustrating that Valve cannot be bothered. Joy-cons are amazing for lazy exercise and I'd rather be enjoying PC games with them.

At least with an iOS 16 Apple TV you should be able use joy-cons via SteamLink or Moonlight. Maybe I'd even sub to the dumb Arcade for a month to play through Fantasian that way since it seems stuck there.


I'm pretty skeptical of Apple gaming but I have to admit, they bothered to name-drop Baldur's Gate 3 when advertising their latest macbook air, and also used RE8 to show off their own upscaling tech. Too bad they are tripling down on Metal and their mobile ecosystem instead of something friendlier to core game devs like Vulkan.

Objectively, Metal is a very good and well-designed graphics API. It has the same advantage over Vulkan as DirectX has over OpenGL: since it's only meant to run on a single platform and a limited set of devices, the API can be much more streamlined and easier to work with.

With that said, there is no reason for Apple to not support Vulkan and to deprecate OpenGL. Those are decisions that are bad for everyone, including developers and consumers. Their inexplicable cult-like following and anti-competitive practices gives them a lot of leeway to do stupid shit like that.

EDIT: also, what is "lazy exercise" lol?

 

[LoggerMan]

Amazing that Apple devices are compatible with the JoyCons before even the Nintendo Switch.

 

[K3N1]

Inb4 $200 Apple branded joycons

 

[Nerdtendo]

I don't use anything apple, but between that presentation earlier and this, they sure are making good moves.

 

[Citizen_404]

As a long time Apple user, my first reaction was "Has hell frozen over? Apple making it easier to pair gamepads with their products? wtf?"

I have to say, I am really happy...if it doesn't get yanked out of the final release, that is, lol.

 

[godreborn]

I really loved when nvidia added dual sense compatibility to their shield product. I always use the cosmic red with mine. I don't think it turns off though, so it does wear on the battery.

 

[Rahkeesh]

EDIT: also, what is "lazy exercise" lol?

Recombinant bike while playing turn-based games using split joy-con. Some people do treadmill the same way.

I agree 90% with other poster that joy-cons are kind of trash, but they are pretty amazing for this one use case.

As a long time Apple user, my first reaction was "Has hell frozen over? Apple making it easier to pair gamepads with their products? wtf?"

Eh they started that much earlier with XB1/DS4 support. Their previous attempt to force everyone to create mFI certified controllers has all but failed, so now it makes perfect sense to give users as many ways as possible to get into Apple Arcade.

 

[slaphappygamer]

Lets see how long Nintendo takes before they sue Apple! Cause they be little bitches.

 

[Julie_Pilgrim]

fucking FINALLY