Apple has been confirmed to be developing an in-house game controller for the iPhone. It has also been raised that the final product could be released under the Beats brand rather than Apple.

On Sept. 13 local time, foreign media including IT outlet 9to5Mac reported that Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman (마크 거먼) said Apple has been developing an iPhone game controller for more than a year and that the project is being led by Beats management.

Earlier, macOS 26.7 release candidate (RC) code showed game controller profiles for two devices called T6502 and T1057. The two devices appeared to include typical controller components such as a directional pad (D-pad), dual thumbsticks, shoulder buttons, analogue triggers, and home and menu buttons. Haptics were also confirmed, and T1057 showed signs of supporting an accelerometer and gyroscope. The actual product design is not yet known.

Gurman said Apple may release the product under the Beats brand. Apple currently sells third-party controllers such as Backbone One and SteelSeries Nimbus+ in the Apple Store, but rolling out its own product would put it directly into the iPhone gamepad market.

Using Beats could also allow differentiation on price, the report said. Beats accessories often target relatively lower price points than Apple-branded products, raising the possibility Apple could apply cheaper materials and design to a game controller. Design and cultural overlap between gamers and Beats consumers has also been cited as a reason for using the Beats brand.

Apple devices can currently use game controllers certified under MFi, Apple's official licensing programme. They can also connect existing console controllers such as PlayStation DualShock and Xbox wireless controllers. If Apple releases its own controller, it would be able to design a game experience optimised for its devices.

An in-house controller could affect gaming ecosystems beyond the iPhone, including Apple TV 4K and the Mac. It could raise the usefulness of Apple TV 4K for gaming and help expand user engagement with AAA games offered on iOS and Mac, the report said.

It is not known when Apple will release an actual product. Although related devices were found in macOS code, that code was later deleted, making it difficult at this stage to confirm whether and when a product in development will be released.