The Horipad Ultimate game controller has been released for Apple TV and iOS devices. Steelseries Nimbus (69070) - wireless gamepad for Apple TV (Black)
Or are you planning to do so, you are probably interested in what useful accessories exist for the Apple TV set-top box and which of them deserve your attention.
Game controllers
Apple TV 4 has support App Store, which means you can play games on big screen. The controls in each of them are different, and the standard remote control is not always the best choice. Fortunately, the console works with third-party gamepads, so there are plenty to choose from.
SteelSeries Nimbus
- Apple TV control buttons.
- Bluetooth 4.1.
- 40 hours of battery life.
SteelSeries Stratus
- The usual “console” form.
- Black and white colors.
- Available in two sizes.
- 10 hours of battery life.
HORI HORIPAD
- Two analog sticks and 8 buttons.
- USB cable included.
- Up to 20 hours of battery life.
Mad Catz C.T.R.L.i
- Companion app.
- Customizable iPhone holder.
- Up to 40 hours of operation on AAA batteries.
Guitar Guitar Hero Live
- iPad and iPhone support.
- Bluetooth connection.
- Operates on regular AA batteries.
Keyboards
You can, of course, dictate text to Siri directly from the remote, but it's much more convenient to type it on an actual physical keyboard. Apple TV 4 is expected to work with Bluetooth keyboards at launch or shortly thereafter.
Anker Bluetooth Ultra-Slim
- Low profile keys.
- 3 months of operation on AAA batteries.
Logitech K480
- Device switcher.
- Slot for iPad and iPhone.
Logitech K810
- Possibility of connecting up to 3 devices.
- Backlit keys.
- Aluminium case.
Apple Magic Keyboard
- New design.
- Charging via Lightning cable.
- 1 month battery life.
Useful features for the remote control
Siri Remote is charged using the included cable, but it is more convenient to do this using a special dock. To prevent the remote control from falling out of your hands during active play, a strap will come in handy, and so as not to get lost in the folds of the sofa, a beautiful table stand.
Steelseries Nimbus is the latest gamepad for set-top box from Steelseries. After the release of the Apple TV set-top box, many users found it more convenient to use more familiar, standard-looking joysticks, so Apple made support for third-party devices. Nimbus is equipped with a Lightning connector to recharge the built-in lithium-ion battery and, according to the manufacturer, will work for up to 40 hours without additional recharging.
Appearance
The gamepad operates wirelessly via Bluetooth version 4.1. Appearance The device resembles the design of Xbox joysticks, but with a classic cross-pad arrangement. Also, nice feature are pressure sensitive buttons. In order to find games compatible with the gamepad, you can use a special application. It contains an up-to-date database of paid and free programs with Nimbus support. The joystick firmware is also updated through this application.
Peculiarities:
- Wireless joystick
- Compatible with most iPhone, iPad, iPod and Mac devices
- Classic arrangement of control elements
- Ability to update device firmware
Or are you planning to do so, you are probably interested in what useful accessories exist for the Apple TV set-top box and which of them deserve your attention.
Game controllers
Apple TV 4 has support for the App Store, which means you can play games on the big screen. The controls in each of them are different, and the standard remote control is not always the best choice. Fortunately, the console works with third-party gamepads, so there are plenty to choose from.
SteelSeries Nimbus
- Apple TV control buttons.
- Bluetooth 4.1.
- 40 hours of battery life.
SteelSeries Stratus
- The usual “console” form.
- Black and white colors.
- Available in two sizes.
- 10 hours of battery life.
HORI HORIPAD
- Two analog sticks and 8 buttons.
- USB cable included.
- Up to 20 hours of battery life.
Mad Catz C.T.R.L.i
- Companion app.
- Customizable iPhone holder.
- Up to 40 hours of operation on AAA batteries.
Guitar Guitar Hero Live
- iPad and iPhone support.
- Bluetooth connection.
- Operates on regular AA batteries.
Keyboards
You can, of course, dictate text to Siri directly from the remote, but it's much more convenient to type it on an actual physical keyboard. Apple TV 4 is expected to work with Bluetooth keyboards at launch or shortly thereafter.
Anker Bluetooth Ultra-Slim
- Low profile keys.
- 3 months of operation on AAA batteries.
Logitech K480
- Device switcher.
- Slot for iPad and iPhone.
Logitech K810
- Possibility of connecting up to 3 devices.
- Backlit keys.
- Aluminium case.
Apple Magic Keyboard
- New design.
- Charging via Lightning cable.
- 1 month battery life.
Useful features for the remote control
Siri Remote is charged using the included cable, but it is more convenient to do this using a special dock. To prevent the remote control from falling out of your hands during active gaming, a strap will come in handy, and to prevent it from getting lost in the folds of the sofa, a beautiful table stand.
October 30 is a good day to talk about. Probably because it is on this day that the first consoles will be delivered to their owners. And if we were familiar with most of the capabilities of Apple TV from previous models, then we are just getting acquainted with tvOS and applications. This is especially true for games.
They spent a lot of time at the September presentation. Multiplayer in , games similar to sports simulators Wii, Asphalt, etc. But if we talk about Apple TV as a full-fledged game console, then a reasonable question arises. What is the joystick?
The answer is obvious at first glance - we have a new Siri Remote, which resembles a Wii controller and even has a touch pad. But for multiplayer we need two joysticks, and Apple TV does not support connecting two remote controls at once. This means you will have to buy third-party controllers that the Apple console supports. Does this mean that without purchasing a third-party joystick you will be left without games? No, a prerequisite for applications on tvOS is support for the native remote control. It is not yet clear how the two types of controls will coexist (after all, a third-party controller has more buttons, triggers, etc.), but you definitely won’t be left without games.
If you have a joystick for iOS lying around somewhere, it will work for . Good news. But what’s even more interesting is the fact that iPhone and iPad can also act as controllers! If this is provided in the game itself. Similar technology has already been used before - FIFA had support for the iPhone as an additional controller. It cannot be said that the gadget’s screen can fully replace a physical joystick, but the increased area of the touchscreen can be used for interesting gaming solutions. It's up to the developers here.
Important note! If you can’t find the remote control, but you have a joystick in your hands, then you can also control Apple TV through it. But Siri doesn’t work, so in the final version you will need to find a native remote. In addition to the voice assistant, there is another significant difference between the remote control and the controller - the accelerometer. That's why it's interesting to play Asphalt on Siri Remote. And yes, if any of the developers wanted to make an alternative Wii Remote for Apple TV, it won’t work.
And lastly, regarding third-party controllers, you can connect no more than two at a time. Let's add a remote control and get a disappointing result - you can't play with four people. You can find out whether a third-party joystick works with the selected game under the application description.
A few more words for those who want to know how Siri Remote will work in games. In addition to the touchpad, you can use two more buttons - Menu and Play/Pause. In most cases, they are responsible for stopping the game and additional functionality. Third-party controllers have the opportunity to use all their buttons, but whether developers take advantage of this is up to them.
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