Full-size followup to the original Stratus controller
SteelSeries today revealed the Stratus XL MFi controller – a full-size, high-quality bluetooth controller for iPhones and iPads, and the follow-up to the current small-size Stratus.
SteelSeries CTO Tino Soelberg says:
âWe have been working for well over a year now on perfecting the wireless controller experience for iOS devices. We have been incredibly impressed by the way the SteelSeries Stratus has been received by consumers so far and we are looking forward to introducing the Stratus XL to the iOS gaming community â who have been asking for a full-sized controller option,â âThe Stratus XL was designed to meet their demands, delivered with the premium features and top-to-bottom quality expected from SteelSeries.â
The SteelSeries Stratus XL, revealed
The Stratus XL appears to share many design cues with the Xbox One controller – arguably the best controller ever made, for any console. It isn’t a direct copy, though, as SteelSeries has opted for a few changes of their own.
The analog sticks look excellent, and appear to be a textured plastic design. This is a huge improvement over the current Stratus’ analog sticks, which feature rubber caps that are prone to falling off if pressed too hard. The sticks are positioned further apart than they are on the regular Stratus, which should make for a huge improvement in games that require the use of both at the same time.
Notably, the sticks follow the traditional parallel arrangement, rather than the staggered layout of the various Xbox designs. Both layouts have their strengths and weaknesses – the standard layout of the Stratus XL tends to be better for games that require the use of both sticks at once, such as shooters, while the staggered layout of the Xbox is often superior for games that mainly require just the left stick plus the face buttons.
The d-pad is the Apple-mandated circular design, rather than the plus shaped layout used by Microsoft. Luckily, the d-pad on the original Stratus is quite nice, and is easily the best d-pad on any of the available MFi controllers.
The Stratus XL features 4 face buttons, two shoulder buttons, and two analog triggers, all of which are pressure sensitive.
Real analog triggers
Battery life is rated for 40 hours, via two AA batteries. The use of AA batteries is welcome, as it fits in well with the Apple ecosystem – Apple themselves sell a set of excellent, reasonably priced rechargeable AA batteries. This is superior to the upcoming C.T.R.L.i controller from Mad Catz, which uses non-Apple-standard AAA batteries.
The Stratus Family
The Stratus XL is scheduled to be available later this year for $79, which is the same price that the current small-size Startus controller retails for. We’ll post more information about this controller as it becomes available.
A list of games compatible with the SteelSeries Stratus XL is available here.
Update:
Replaced pictures with higher quality versions and added pricing information
MFiGamer from fellow iPhone controller gaming site mfi4gamerz does a nice job summarizing the upcoming Razer Junglecat, as well as listing the some pros and cons associated with what we know so far. But he comes to a conclusion don’t quite I agree with.
MFiGamer says:
I really want to like this controller but regardless of how elegant it looks functionally it doesn’t add up enough to justify the $99 price tag. Razer seriously need to reconsider the price if they wish it to be a success.
Personally, I’m not so sure about that. $99 is a tough sell, no question about it, but Razer has made a business from selling premium quality products at premium prices. You can buy a decent mouse or keyboard for $20, but if you want to buy a Razer mouse or keyboard, which are among the best in the business, the price can easily run above $100 each.
Gamers WILL pay premium prices for premium products, and Razer has a history of delivering those products. Has Razer done so here? We shall see.
Capcom today announced that fan-favorite RPG Monster Hunter Freedom Unite will be coming to the App Store, and will feature full MFi controller support.
Monster Hunter fans will note that a version of this game is already available on the App Store in Japan, arriving about a month ago. While that version is missing an English localization, it is still quite playable, and features full MFi controller support.
This localized version of Monster Hunter should be hitting the App Store soon. More information will be available around E3, where it will be playable at Capcom’s booth.
Japanese iPhone and iPad owners can grab a copy from the Japanese App Store now:
Jordan Kahn at 9to5mac reports that Apple is both keeping a list of MFi controller compatible games, and is apparently contemplating making that list public.
The feature works much like the App Match feature Apple already offers, which prompts users when connecting an accessory to download a companion app or view compatible apps on the App Store. Apple has recently added the same ability for manufacturers creating MFi game controllers. Rather than sending users to a specific app, Apple says implementing the feature will prompt users to visit an Apple-maintained list of supported controller games.
The ability for third-party devices connected over Lightning to prompt users to download an app is not new – technically, MFi controller makers have had the ability to do this the entire time. But with the exception of MOGA promising an app and never delivering it, none of the controller manufacturers seem to have put any effort in on this front. With this solution, presumably they wouldn’t have to – Apple would maintain a section in the store dedicated to cataloging these games.
The first mark agains this rumor is that it implies Apple is keeping a list. Based on what I’ve heard from developers, and what I’ve seen myself digging into metadata on Apple’s servers, Apple never actually collects any information about controller support in games. Unlike Game Center, Passbook, or iCloud, there is no standardized way for developers to actually indicate support exists in their games. If Apple has a list, they’ve presumably built it by scanning compiled game binaries, which would be horribly inaccurate, due to the amount of games with incomplete or broken controller support.
The third mark against this rumor is that it implies third party controller makers would need to issue firmware updates in order to allow it. I don’t see why that would be necessary. Apple already knows when a controller is plugged in â all they’d need to do is prompt users with a pop-up the first time a controller is detected. Everything required to implement this functionality seems like it would already be part of iOS.
Ultimately, I’m expecting Apple to continue ramping up their promotion of MFi controllers and MFi controller compatible games. But I’m not so sure that they even have a master game list, let alone that they’re close to sharing it with everyone. It wouldn’t be like Apple to list of hundreds of apps without context, let alone thousands. I’d expect them to curate a selection of “editor’s choice” games with controller support, and perhaps prompt users of MFi controllers to visit that section of the store. But as for a complete list, I’m skeptical. And a complete list of thousands of games with fully implemented MFi controller support? I’d eat my hat if I saw that any time soon.
Classic hack-and-slash action game Samurai II was recently updated for controller support for its fourth anniversary.
Originally released in 2010, Samurai II is a top-down action brawler with fluid gameplay and a beautiful aesthetic. It was one of the earlier games from Dead Trigger 2 developer Madfinger games, and unlike their later games, is a premium title without any form of in-app purchases.
Samurai II may be 4 years old, but it certainly doesn’t look it
In addition to controller support, this new update rolls in iCloud saves, cross-device compatibility, improved graphics and performance, and better compatibility with iOS 7 and the latest iPhones and iPads.
Samurai II was one of my favorite iOS games when it was first released, and for fans of action games, I’m happy to report that time hasn’t diminished this one’s shine in the slightest. If you’re a fan of the action gameplay of games like Dynasty Warriors or God of War, give this one a download.
Appleâs own thoughts and plans for the MFi controller program
This yearâs WWDC is in full swing, and Apple has once again made it abundantly clear that gaming is a major focus for them. Between completely new technologies like Metal to updated frameworks like Spritekit, Apple continues to build out their gaming ecosystem for developers.
But what of physical game controllers? Apple didnât say a thing about them during the WWDC media keynote – does that mean last yearâs big gaming push is being ignored?
Good news for controller fans: it turns out exactly the opposite is true. The MFi controller program is alive and well, and is set to receive a major push from Apple in the near future, according to their Platforms State of the Union presentation given immediately after the media-friendly WWDC keynote.
While short, there is a surprisingly large amount to unpack in that slide, and in the accompanying description. Lets dig in point by pointâ¦
Thousands of Games
This one is pretty straightforward: Apple is saying there are thousands of games with controller support. Of course, they donât list any of those games anywhere. Places that do list those games, such as this very site, donât come anywhere close to that. Afterpad provides the biggest and most comprehensive list out there, and weâve seen about 340 games with support. Either weâve missed thousands of games, or Apple is playing a little fast and loose with their counting. I lean towards the latter⦠*ahem*⦠moving onâ¦
In-store Demos
Again, the specifics here may be a little questionable, but at least this one has some basis in reality – at the time the speaker informed the audience that there were in-store demonstrations of MFi controllers, there really WERE in-store demonstrations! Of course, Apple just started rolling out those demonstrations within the past week. And those demonstrations are only available at a few locations, such as the Apple Store a few blocks away from WWDC. But thatâs beside the pointâ¦
The important takeaway here is, Apple is starting to demonstrate MFi game controllers for Apple Store customers, live and in person. This is a big deal – this means casual passers-by will actually see Apple employees and customers playing the games, will actually be able to try the controllers out for themselves with a few games, and will hopefully leave the store with a controller.
This is a big deal for the platform. Controller makers are going to be less reticent to release devices now that they have a guaranteed in-person demonstration platform at the worldâs most valuable retailer. Developers are going to want to update their games for controller support on the off-chance Apple will choose to demonstrate those games live. Shoppers will get a chance to see, touch, and play with those controllers in person. Expect this to play a significant role in accelerating the growth of game controllers on iOS.
Controller Forwarding
Controller forwarding allows any iOS 8 devices to share any MFi controller connected to it with another device, simply by connecting the two devices. In its current incarnation, controller forwarding allows iPhones and iPads connected to MFi controllers to allow those controllers to work with any Mac running OS X. This works by connecting the iPhone or iPad to the Mac over USB, then launching a compatible Mac game The iPhone or iPad conveys the MFi controllerâs input signals through the cable to the computer, and the computer never realizes that it isnât connected directly to a controller
This is interesting for a variety of reasons. It certainly expands the number of MFi controllers with Mac compatibility from just Bluetooth controllers to ANY MFi controller. Thatâs a big deal for a relatively new platform – it wonât fragment the controllers into Mac compatible and iOS+Mac compatible.
But lets get serious about this. The number of people who are going to be connecting iOS devices to their Macs to play games with MFi controllers is nowhere near enough to justify the amount of work implementing this feature must have taken. I donât think Apple spent time coding this in order to allow iPhones in PowerShells to play games on a platform that is fully capable of supporting ANY game controller, from Xbox 360 gamepads to Wii sticks. What other reason could Apple have for developing this technology?
When you start to think about the potential uses for controller forwarding outside of OS X, the feature gets interesting. Specifically, Iâm thinking about the Apple TV.
Apple currently has a team of top-grade engineers working on the next-generation Apple TV. While I certainly donât have any specifics regarding what that next iteration will look like, Iâd bet a lot that gaming will play a major part of it. The idea of using an iPhone in a MFi controller as a sort of second-screen input device for an iOS powered Apple TV console is intriguing. It would open up the potential for new interaction models in a way not completely dissimilar to how Airplay streaming between iPhone and Apple TV already works.
Wrap-up
So that appears to be it for controller support at this yearâs WWDC. We will continue to check the store regularly on the off-chance we missed the several thousand compatible games Apple references. Weâll take a closer look at the in-person controller demonstrations at Apple Stores, and hopefully document the expansion of the stores featuring those demonstrations. And as Yosemite and iOS 8 get further along in development, weâll delve more closely into controller forwarding, and hopefully have some more concrete details of how those features work. Follow us on Twitter or subscribe to the RSS feed to stay up-to-date with the latest in MFi controller, iOS, and Apple TV gaming news.
The Junglecat is a Standard layout controller with a sliding design reminiscent of the infamous PSP GO. With this design, the controller slides away behind the iPhone when not in use, making for perhaps the most pocketable design of any MFi controller so far.
It really does look slim in pictures
Just how much this pocketability impacts the quality of the gaming experience remains to be seen. On the one hand, Razer is a quality accessory company who understands gaming. On the other, I own a PSP GO, and the gaming experience on that example of the sliding form factor isn’t pretty.
The build quality looks quite good
On the feature front, the Junglecat is a mixed bag. As a Standard layout controller, it is missing the analog sticks and triggers common to every other upcoming MFI controller. Unlike the previously released Standard layout PowerShell MFi controller from Logitech, the Junglecat does not appear to include any form of backup battery for the iPhone. At the same time, the Razer controller will include a feature none of the other MFi controllers have: a companion app. Using this app, it should be possible to customize the sensitivity of the buttons, as well as see a list of compatible games.
Razer has opted to sell the Junglecat at the not-insignificant price of $99. While that is keeping in line with earlier MFi controller launch prices, every other controller has had their price reduced to the $69 range. I’m not sure how well the Junglecat is going to sell at $99 price against newer, more fully featured competition. Also of note, the design of the Junglecat limits it to compatibility with only the iPhone 5 and 5S. Software tricks aside, iPads, the iPhone 5C, and any future iOS devices will likely not fit within the Junglecat’s dimensions.
Questions about price and about the sliding design aside, the Razer Junglecat looks to be a really well built device, and the companion software is potentially a big deal. I’ll be looking to get my hands on one of these as soon as possible, and will hopefully have a review up before long.
A brief look at what this means for gaming and game development
When it comes to Apple news, it doesn’t get much bigger than WWDC. And when it comes to WWDC events, today’s was one of the biggest and most important ones in recent memory, when it comes to software development for Apple platforms. Read on as we unpack some of the gaming-focused features in iOS 8 and OSX Yosemite, and what they mean for Apple, developers, and users.
Metal
This is the big one. Metal is a brand new high-performance 3D graphics framework. It’s multithreaded, optimized for the A7 chip, and designed for combining CPU and GPU processing. It was developed with input from the teams behind Unity and Unreal Engine, and will likely be a major component of future releases of those development environments.
Longer-term, Metal will likely play a significant role in whatever gaming SDK eventually comes to the Apple TV.
Spritekit / Scenekit
Apple’s simpler, more introductory game development environments also received updates and feature additions. While neither of these has received particularly widespread adoption among major cross-platform releases, they’re a great environment for developers focused exclusively on iOS. They’ll also likely play a major role in game development for the Apple TV. Something to watchâ¦
Swift
Swift is a brand new programming language, replacing Objective C as Apple’s preferred language for Mac and iOS development. It’s been a long time coming.
While Swift is likely to be less important for game developers, it will be a major factor in the development of basically all future non-gaming iOS apps.
Xcode 6
Designed to be faster, more polished, and fully integrated with all of the new technologies listed above, Xcode 6 will be incredibly important for app developers. As for users, while they won’t directly see Xcode, a better developer environment means better apps – the effects will be noticeable to everyone.
Cloudkit
CloudKit is a big deal – bigger than the amount of attention it was given during the keynote implies. For the first time, Cloudkit will allow app developers to combine server-side code with iCloud data, and share that code and data between apps and devices. The effects of this could potentially be huge for gaming. Server-side code means persistent worlds, persistent connections between apps, and offline data manipulation behind the scenes. This could potentially even allow completely iCloud native MMORPGs, depending on how Apple implements it. Huge potential here.
App Bundles
This is a two-edged sword, but for better or worse, developers can now bundle multiple apps together and sell them as a collection. On the one hand, it makes it easier for developers to ignite interest in back catalog games that may not be garnering the attention they should. Developers can bundle older apps into a slightly-more-expensive version of the new app and turn them into a way to add a few dollars to the cost of their latest game.
On the other hand, most developers will probably race to find out how many games they can cram into a $.99 package, further reducing the amount gamers will be expecting to pay for quality games. Expect this one to prove controversial among developers.
And lastlyâ¦
MFi controller support for OSX
This one didn’t garner a mention at WWDC, but does get a place on Apple’s website. MFi controller support will be officially coming to Mac OSX Yosemite. Hopefully for real this time.
From Apple:
Improved Game Controller Support
Control your favorite Mac games wirelessly with your favorite Made for iPhone controller.* Simply connect your iPhone or iPod touch to the controller and itâs ready for use with any supported Mac game.
This a bit of an odd way of handling controller support on Mac. From the sound of things, the controllers connect to the iPhone or iPad, which then wirelessly sends the controller input to the Mac.
Assuming the latency is low, it sounds good enough, though conceptually crazy. Lets hope it ships in the final OS. After all, controller support was supposed to ship in Mavericks.
Wrap-up
Those are just some quick thoughts on what Apple’s WWDC announcements mean for gaming on Apple platforms in the near future. I’ll delve more fully into each of these points as more information becomes available. For now, be sure to check out Apple.com for more information on these topics, and many more.
Today, 2 and a half hours from now, at 10AM pacific time, Apple will take the stage at Moscone West in San Francisco and reveal the future of iOS and Mac OS.
Will they discuss gaming? Will there be an Apple TV SDK? An iWatch? Expanded MFi controller support? With any luck, we’ll find out in a few short hours.
Watch the keynote address live at Apple.com. For users of Apple TVs, a WWDC app has been automatically added to the home screen – launch that at 10AM to watch the keynote on your TV
As of earlier this week, Apple is no longer selling the Logitech PowerShell MFi controller via their website. In-store stock appears to be inconsistent, and will likely be removed within the next several days.
This marks the second MFi controller removed from sale by Apple. Several weeks ago, the Moga Ace Power was similarly pulled from the shelves of the Apple Store. In the case of MOGA, I questioned the company’s future, especially in light of their complete silence and missed deadlines for the past several months. In this instance, I’m much less concerned about Logitech.
The PowerShell is still on sale from Logitech, and is presumably still being manufactured. It seems like Apple is simply clearing out stock to make room for multipleupcomingproducts. Either way, more information will likely be available at WWDC tomorrow, and at E3 in the days after.
Logitech has not responded to our requests for comment. If and when they do, this post will be updated.
