Apple Said to Be Developing iPhone Game Controllers Under Beats Brand
Apple is developing two game controllers for the iPhone that would likely be sold under the Beats brand, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
Gurman reported that two controllers are in the works, codenamed T6502 and T1057, and that product engineering and conception are being handled by Beats executives. He did not offer a release timeline for either device.
The report follows the discovery by a MacRumors reader earlier this month of code in a macOS release candidate that referenced two hardware devices containing gaming controller components, including dual thumbsticks, shoulder buttons and D-pads. The Verge reported that MacRumors found two references in the code of macOS 26.7 to game controllers identified as first-party devices. Although the code appeared in macOS rather than iOS, Gurman said the controllers are designed for iPhones.
Apple already sells third-party gaming controllers through its online store, including models from Backbone and SteelSeries.
Gurman said Apple could be using the Beats brand strategically as it experiments in product territory it is interested in. Between the two brands, a Beats controller could be priced below an Apple-branded equivalent because it could skip the premium materials and styling the company typically applies to its own products. Beats currently sells a range of iPhone cases and USB-C cables that do not follow Apple's usual approach to design.
To reach a broad audience, a controller has to be relatively affordable, which means avoiding some of the more expensive materials and finishes associated with Apple products. Gurman also pointed to potential overlap between the gaming community and Beats owners, both in aesthetics and culture, as a factor that could make the brand a natural fit for the accessory.
Apple has not publicly announced a first-party gaming controller for the iPhone, and the company has not commented on the Bloomberg report.