Introducing the Gamevice MFi Controller for iPad Mini

Full format iPad controller case coming soon

It seems the torrent of MFi controllers revealed at E3 is not letting up quite yet. Today, gaming tablet hardware maker Wikipad has officially taken the wraps off their first iOS accessory: the Gamevice.

Clad in a Nintendo-esque white plastic, the Gamevice seems unassuming, but make no mistake – there is a lot of power packed into this controller. The Gamevice is a full Extended format MFi controller sporting two full analog sticks, pressure-sensitive ABXY and shoulder buttons, and a fully analog d-pad.

One of the most noteworthy aspects of the Gamevice is that it is currently planned to be exclusive to the iPad Mini and iPad Mini with Retina display, and does not offer direct compatibility with iPhones or larger iPads. While the Mini Retina is my personal favorite iPad design, most of the recently announced controllers (all except the Junglecat, actually) are independent bluetooth designs with a focus on compatibility with as much iOS hardware as possible. While many gamers will likely favor one of these more universally compatible designs, they might be making a rush to judgement in doing so – iOS 8’s controller forwarding feature allows any MFi controller to be used with any device.

There are two versions of the Gamevice currently under development: the normal version, and a second version with a backup battery for the iPad, capable of approximately doubling the iPad Mini’s battery life. Both connect to the iPad over Lightning, and both use the now-standard micro-USB cable to charge. It is currently unknown if power passthrough will be supported, but based on my experiences with the Moga controller, I hope so.

There are two obvious questions that spring to mind with this, and any other controller: How much does it cost, and when can I buy it? And unfortunately, neither of those have a firm answer at the moment. The Gamevice is roughly scheduled for release near the holiday shopping season, to try to capitalize on the Christmas rush, and to allow time for finalizing and polishing the design. As for price, I was told the goal is “to be as aggressive as possible without giving it away.” Basically, I wouldn’t expect this to undercut the rest of the MFi controllers out there, but I also wouldn’t expect it to break the bank with an outrageous markup.

Despite a scheduled winter release date, The Gamevice is actually quite far in development. Working copies were playable by the press at E3, and while no reports are currently available about HOW it plays, I’d be very surprised if people’s impressions were anything but positive. The manufacturer of the Gamevice, Wikipad, is a high-end Android gaming hardware designer. The eponymous Wikipad is a gaming-focused Android tablet with an included form-fitting game controller, and is generally regarded a quality product.

It is obvious that the Gamevice isn’t for everyone; that’s okay. This is a specialty controller designed for gamers who primarily play on an iPad Mini, and who want the absolute best experience doing so. This describes me perfectly, and I have a feeling it describes a lot of other people as well. I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Gamevice sell a lot of units this winter, and I’m pretty sure I’ll be one of many people doing the buying.

Learn more about the Gamevice by visiting Gamevice.com.

Visit the MFi Game List to check out a full list of games compatible with the Gamevice.