The year 2026 is proving to be the one when Apple‘s product portfolio expands dramatically. Apple has already launched its first foldable phone and an uber-affordable laptop so far. Later this year, the company is expected to launch an overhauled MacBook with a touchscreen and plenty of other changes, followed by new smart home devices. It seems the company is also eyeing the gaming segment pretty keenly.
According to Bloomberg, which cites data gleaned from Apple’s code, the company is planning to launch two game controllers. But instead of the Apple branding, these would hit the shelves carrying the Beats logo, which has so far been reserved predominantly for audio gear.
“The company has indeed been working on gaming controllers for the iPhone for a bit over a year, with the goal of competing with a slew of popular third-party options. Apple sees this as a growing market and wants in,” says the report. The shift won’t be surprising.
Why the Beats branding?
As part of the expanded Beats portfolio, Apple’s official store already sells protective cases and cables, alongside earbuds, headphones, and speakers. Gaming controllers will be an interesting addition to the portfolio, but not entirely unexpected. Apple’s arcade ecosystem already has plenty of triple-A games, and Apple is pushing its Metal architecture as a capable route to enjoy games like Resident Evil and Death Stranding on the Mac, iPhone, and iPad.
Apple already sells the controllers it could compete with
Apple’s official store already sells game controllers from a handful of brands, including Backbone, SteelSeries, and Sony’s PlayStation division. Adding its own Beats-branded game controllers into the mix sounds like a natural evolution of Apple’s gaming strategy. So far, there is no word on when Apple plans to launch these Beats-branded controllers, but given the pace at which Apple has been expanding its product portfolio, it shouldn’t take too long.
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