iOS 13 and iPadOS Add Full Gaming Support for PS4/Xbox One Controllers

Apple has made a major change in iOS 13, in partnership with Sony and Microsoft, that could make gaming on your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch a lot easier and more capable.

Basically, iOS 13 and iPadOS now include full support for Sony’s Playstation DualShock 4 and Microsoft’s Xbox One S game controllers. Here’s what that means for you.

Playstation Support & Remote Play

The addition of DualShock 4 support means that you’ll soon be able to use Sony’s flagship controller to play your mobile iOS games. But the possibilities of this support are even more intriguing due to Sony’s Remote Play app.

Remote Play allows you to connect an iPhone or iPad to a PS4 and stream your favorite games, allowing you to play them on-the-go (as long as you have Wi-Fi connectivity). But, of course, the limitations of an iOS device’s touchscreen UI meant that many games were simply unplayable using the system.

With DualShock 4 support, users will be able to turn their iPhones and iPads into miniature and portable PS4 consoles. That includes support for the PS4 dashboard and the Playstation store. Users will also be able to use an iPhone’s microphone to voice chat in-game.

Of course, even with Remote Play, an iOS device won’t be a full-fledged alternative to a PS4. Some games aren’t compatible with the Remote Play app.

Will Xbox Follow Suit?

iOS 13 and iPadOS also include full support for Microsoft’s Xbox One S controller. Unlike Sony, however, Microsoft doesn’t currently have any type of mobile game streaming app.

The company is working on a solution called Project xCloud, however. And in the meantime, there are some third-party alternatives for streaming Xbox One games to iOS connected to Wi-Fi networks.

Other Options

The support for Sony and Xbox controllers will also be a boon for PC game users. Steam recently released its own Steam Link app for iOS, which lets users stream Steam games to iPhone or iPad as long as they’re on the same Wi-Fi network as a user’s PC.

Many games on Steam already support DualShock 4 and Xbox One S controllers — which means that users will be able to use them to play compatibles Steam games on their iOS devices.

When Will I Be Able to Use This?

iOS 13 and iPadOS are currently in beta testing. As of the writing of this article, you’ll need to have an Apple developer account to get access to the betas.

A public beta version, available to anyone who signs up for Apple’s beta software program at this link, is slated to drop in July.

For everyone else, the full public releases of iOS 13 and iPadOS will be released sometime in the fall.