A recently published Apple patent has offered hints that the company may be entering the gaming market.
And if you remember the Pippen from the mid-90’s, this isn’t the easier thing to do.
The US Patent and Trademark Office published a patent application from Apple in regard to a variety of video game controller accessories capable of attaching themselves magnetically to an iPhone or other device. The device is also capable of folding into a variety of different positions.
According to Korean website Clien, a leaker posted that Apple may be in talks with video game companies. This could imply that Apple is positioning itself to enter the gaming market. The patent also focuses around adding peripherals to a device, such as outfitting an iPad with a keyboard attachment. Apple’s device seems to function as an accessory to which the user can add multiple functionalities to an iPhone or other electronic device.
The device described by the patent also seems to take some cues from the Nintendo Switch. With the Switch, users can either use the device with the controllers connected directly to the screen, or remove the controllers for an entirely different gaming experience. The latest patent by Apple seems to be doing something similar, with its patent using a series of magnets to attach itself to the main console.
The images displayed within the patent show a variety of ways the controller might connect to the screen. The screen also seems to feature a base that would allow it to switch from portrait to landscape mode. The patent also suggests that the device could have the screen and controllers separate from the base. This would require the batteries and magnets for each module.
It’s unknown as to exactly what Apple’s plans for this might be, or when a device could emerge on the market, but it provides a hint as to what could be expected down the road.
Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.
Via The Mac Observer, the United States Patent and Trademark Office, and Patently Apple