The Gamevice is Now Available!
After a longer-than-expected wait, the Gamevice for iPad Mini is here!
https://www.afterpad.com/the-gamevice-i … ed-to-know
I conducted an interview about the Gamevice with Gamevice CEO Fraser Townley. If anyone has any questions not covered in the interview, don't hesitate to drop by the forums here and post them, I'll do my best to get answers!
Sweet! That's really good news! My only question is whether there is any future proofing in the Air model to accommodate the Air 3?
I can answer that:
They have no advance knowledge of anything Apple is doing with an iPad Air 3, so presumably they know what we know. I haven't heard any stories about Apple changing the shape of the next iPad Air, so I'd imagine this would work. If Apple does change the shape significantly or switch to a USB3 type C port, this existing model isn't going to work.
Glad it's out but sad because i have the air 2, and no clue the months to wait for that version.
Woohooo! Finally! Everything was turning black!
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Great news to see it released,
i notice it's only available in US Apple Store at the mo, will be keeping track of other Apple Store territories and 3rd party retailers.
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I'm still holding out to see if it's compatible for the iPad Mini 4 though, it will be the ultimate gaming combo.
Amacon18 wrote:
Glad it's out but sad because i have the air 2, and no clue the months to wait for that version.
Yeah, it's a bit unfortunate about the iPad Air version, but it won't be too far behind. They just want to make sure it's as stable as possible - it'll be worth it. I managed to use the Air version at CES - it was functionally perfect, and the large size wasn't an issue.
MFiGamer wrote:
Woohooo! Finally! Everything was turning black!
.
Great news to see it released,
i notice it's only available in US Apple Store at the mo, will be keeping track of other Apple Store territories and 3rd party retailers.
.
I'm still holding out to see if it's compatible for the iPad Mini 4 though, it will be the ultimate gaming combo.
Yep, it's finally here! And I have no doubt you'll agree with me that it's the best one yet - I'll be looking forward to reading your impressions 😊
Expect a wide rollout soon. I can't get into specifics, but they have big plans!
Glad to see the Gamepad has finally been released, does anyone know when it will make it to Europe as the UK Apple store is not listing it at the minute.
Farmboy74 wrote:
Glad to see the Gamepad has finally been released, does anyone know when it will make it to Europe as the UK Apple store is not listing it at the minute.
Not sure; when you distribute through the Apple Store, you're not allowed to talk about distribution plans in advance. Hopefully soon!
About time, now all we need is the air version.
I'm sure the mini version is probably a bit more comfortable to use/hold but I'm not getting a mini just to use this.
I preordered one as soon as I realized the link was legit - I've been really happy with my Hori Gamepad so far (LOVE the d-pad) but I get this feeling that the Gamevice form factor with a Mini is going to be the closest anyone gets to the WiiU GamePad in terms of comfort.
Might as well take the opportunity to upgrade to a iPad Mini 4 with a bigger HD anyway whenever it comes out, since my current iPad is pretty much full to bursting; that one goes into my case (this killer Castelo Davarg leather case I kickstarted), paired with the Hori, and taken with me when I get called away on business travel. I'll keep the old one around for home use in the Gamevice (which will be particularly nice since GBA4iOS supports Dropbox syncing). Living in the future is pretty cool sometimes.
The Horipad is great, but the Gamevice is better! and I've always preferred the controller-case form factor to the full wireless Bluetooth style. Wireless controllers are great for consoles, but I like holding the iPad / iPhone in my hands while I play.
I had no interest in the Gamevice until I read your review on Afterpad. Now it's looking like a something that I might want, depending on a few things.
I also had no interest in getting a new iPad; my iPad 4 works fine. However, with the introduction of the MFi controllers, it's become my primary gaming device. So I'm looking at the next gen of iPads as a replacement - I want to get the newest device so that it'll last me a few years - especially if I'm going to buy a $100 controller that I won't be able to use with anything else.
So if there's an iPad Air 3 or an iPad Mini 4 and the Gamevice doesn't fit them, then I'll take a pass on the GV and stick with my CTRLi. My big question is: if Apple makes the iPad Mini 4 6.1mm thick like the iPad Air 2, will the current Gamevice fit it?
Billavi wrote:
I had no interest in the Gamevice until I read your review on Afterpad. Now it's looking like a something that I might want, depending on a few things.
I also had no interest in getting a new iPad; my iPad 4 works fine. However, with the introduction of the MFi controllers, it's become my primary gaming device. So I'm looking at the next gen of iPads as a replacement - I want to get the newest device so that it'll last me a few years - especially if I'm going to buy a $100 controller that I won't be able to use with anything else.
So if there's an iPad Air 3 or an iPad Mini 4 and the Gamevice doesn't fit them, then I'll take a pass on the GV and stick with my CTRLi. My big question is: if Apple makes the iPad Mini 4 6.1mm thick like the iPad Air 2, will the current Gamevice fit it?
Waiting on exactly the same question,..:)
Hopefully the iPad Mini4 will have an A8x or an A9 in it leaning towards an A8 though going off Apples history for mini updates. Think the A9 will be reserved for new iPhones/iPad Air.
I also notice on the Apple Store link for GameVice that the iPad Mini3 is not listed under compatible devices?, might be an oversight.
Should be ok as mini2 & mini3 are exactly the same dimensions....Kev can you confirm mini3 compatibility ?
Last edited by MFiGamer (Jul 27 6:34 PM)
I have no clue about compatibility with future devices. Presumably neither do the folks at Gamevice, Apple doesn't let third parties in on their plans in advance 😉
The iPad Mini 3 is the exact same device as the Mini 2, just with Touch ID. It'll work fine with the existing Gamevice.
The iPad Mini 1 is thinner than the iPad Mini 2, and it does feel a bit looser in the Gamevice. Making it significantly thinner might pose a challenge.
If you were to buy a Gamevice today, and a future iPad Mini came out that was too thin to work adecuately (but was otherwise identical in layout), you could probably just stick some electrical tape along the base of each half of the Gamevice to narrow the gap. It wouldn't be the most pretty solution, but should be functionally perfect. That's what I'd do if I were to get a new Mini, which I probably won't be doing.
I do wonder if Apple will continue last year's policy of keeping the Mini a generation (or more) behind the Air. I was a fan of the device up until last year, but I ended up switching to the Air 2, and now I'm excited about the possibility of a 12-inch iPad. The Mini has it's place, but I don't know if its even possible for Apple to keep it at parity with the larger iPads while still maintaining battery life.
I have a comment about the original Gamevice review. The D-Pad is said to be the first to not be disc shaped, proving that a disc shaped D-Pad isn't a requirement set by Apple. Except that it is set in a disc-like depression on the Gamevice. It looks (to me) that this is an end-run around Apple's requirement. Every device has a circular D-Pad area; it's too much of a coincidence not to be an edict from Apple. Unless it's an end run around Nintendo… maybe they'd have to pay Nintendo a fee for using the "cross" without this modification.
On another note, it might be a good idea if they made slim cases so that you could retrofit the newer iPads so that they fit the Gamevice properly. But since that would be a niche product for a niche product, it would probably have to be made by the makers of the Gamevice