Apple reportedly working on two secret gadgets that could transform how you game on iPhone

Gaming on iPhone is bigger than ever with players able to access many of the best titles each year — and it looks like Apple is about the fill in the missing piece of the puzzle by releasing its very own controller in the near future.

While mobile games are intrinsically designed to allow people to play with touch controls, most players are in agreement that opting for a separate controller is the way to go.

There are plenty of options on the market – including those that allow you to mount your iPhone directly to the controller itself – but many people wish there was a dedicated peripheral from Apple directly that works best with the device.

Thankfully those wishes could soon come true, as new reports from ever-reliable Apple insider Mark Gurman of Bloomberg have suggested that the company is developing not one but two game controllers — and this could be perfect for the new foldable iPhone Duo too.

Apple developing new game controllers

This rumor was supported by the identification of two references to controllers with the macOS 26.7 update's code, as per MacRumors, where the gadgets were identified as first-party devices that must be quite far along in their development.

Gurman indicates that these controllers won't be sold directly under the Apple name but instead with the Beats branding, which mirrors a number of other peripherals and accessories in recent years.

Gaming on iPhone is bigger than ever, so releasing a first-party controller makes total sense for Apple (Getty Images)

Part of this is due to the more 'experimental' nature of the device, as it's the first time that Apple has ever stepped into the world of controllers, but it also likely allows Apple to offer compromises on build quality in order to provide a more competitive price point which wouldn't be possible if it was within the Apple family.

Apple reportedly believes that the controller market is a growing one and this is a good time to jump in, and it's no surprise considering the number of games you can play either natively or through streaming services on your phone these days.

How could these be better than competing devices?

There's no way of knowing exactly what advantages a first-party controller from Apple would provide, but given the benefits its other gadgets have shown there's plenty of speculation to be had.

First and foremost would be connectivity, as many Apple first-party devices are far easier to set up and use compared to their third-party alternatives, so you likely wouldn't have to deal with any set-up problems and potentially also benefit from lower latency.

There are many reasons why you might want to opt for a first-party controller from Apple over competitors (Kiyoshi Ota/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

These controllers could also be optimized for use on iPhones and iPads too, giving them additional exclusive features and potentially wider usage tools that other controllers simply cannot offer.

One big benefit in the wake of the iPhone Duo is direct support for larger phones, as many existing controllers likely have mounts that aren't capable of balancing the much larger and heavier shape of the folding device.

We won't know for sure until Apple officially unveils the controller though, but that could be sooner than you might expect and it might not be long until we've officially got the devices in our hands.