Apple adds support in iOS 16 for Nintendo's Joy-Cons and Pro Controller for Switch, expanding on support for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X controllers
Apple had already moved from retailing Microsoft’s controller to working with Microsoft on Xbox Series X compatibility, as reflected in its first sale of the Xbox Wireless Controller and subsequent Xbox Series X support work. iOS 16 extends that controller-compatibility path to Nintendo hardware alongside the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X options already supported.
The change matters because Apple is accepting controllers from all three major console ecosystems rather than treating controller support as a single-vendor accessory relationship.
First-order effects
Nintendo Switch owners can use Joy-Cons or the Pro Controller with iOS 16, giving Apple-device gaming another supported input option.
Apple broadens its supported-controller set beyond the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X controllers added in iOS 14.5.
Second-order effects
Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo controllers now sit on more comparable footing for Apple-device play, reducing the advantage of controller compatibility as a differentiator among those console ecosystems.
Apple’s earlier Xbox Series X controller effort is reinforced as part of a broader interoperability approach rather than a one-off Microsoft accommodation.
Third-order effects
If Apple continues adding established console controllers, iOS gaming hardware will increasingly be defined by compatibility with devices consumers already own, rather than by a separate Apple-specific controller layer.
The trend: Apple is widening iOS’s role as a hardware-agnostic gaming endpoint by supporting controllers from the major console platforms.
YES, when you connect both joy-cons they appear as a single MFi Controller to apps! Apple seriously killed it with this implementation, this is incredible 👏 https://twitter.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Now, imagine if they let Delta into the app store just how cool this would be without the need to mess around with developer accounts. That said, iPad retro gaming just took a great step forward. https://twitter.com/...
AND you can dynamically switch between using both joy-cons as a single controller or 2 separate controllers by holding the screenshot + home buttons for a few seconds !! iPhone is officially a switch now dont @ me https://twitter.com/... https://twitter.com/...