Apple brought fans a brand new presentation today showing off new computers, Apple Watch updates, and more. Part of what they had to show off is that their Apple TV is soon getting PlayStation 4 and Xbox One controller support.
The controller support may seem random at first, but the update is planned to go live alongside their new Apple Arcade service, which is their version of a gaming subscription service that will be bringing over 100 titles to iPhones, iPads, Apple TVs, and Macs everywhere. Their library will host both exclusive titles and popular games across platforms, aiming to compete with the likes of the Xbox Game Pass and Sony’s revived subscription that is coming down the pipeline as well.
Bringing over controller support was also anticipated given that the company has been trying to push its gaming scheme for quite some time now. Now that Google has officially entered the playing field with their Stadia, the competition is definitely stiff and Apple looks like they are ready to play ball. Being able to play with one’s own controller for their subscription service will surely go over better with gamers rather than having to purchase an overpriced peripheral specific to Apple.
It will be interesting to see how the company continues to evolve in the gaming-scape, it’s definitely an industry that has seen booming growth in the last 5 years and that growth is just getting started when it comes to more mainstream medias.
