14 DAY TRIAL // When iOS 7 debuts this fall, not only will it give Android a run for its money, but it will also start competing with the likes of Sony and Nintendo head-on.
Embedded in iOS 7 for developers is a cool Game Controller Framework which, according to the iOS Developer Library, “lets you discover and configure Made-for-iPhone/iPod/iPad (MFi) game controller hardware in your app.”
What this means is any developer with a great idea for a video game can create both the software and the hardware to achieve a perfect experience. Of course, developers would also require Apple’s MFi certification, so it’s probably easier to just code the game’s control scheme around an existing piece of hardware from a third party.
“Game controllers can be devices connected physically to an iOS device or connected wirelessly over Bluetooth,” Apple says.
Without fail, the framework notifies the app when controllers are available and lets developers specify which controller inputs are relevant to their app.
To learn more about supporting game controllers in iOS apps, Apple offers the Game Controller Programming Guide.