PS5 and Xbox Series X: Apple is working on controller support
A future update will make the Xbox Series X controller compatible with iOS and iPadOS. Exactly when this will be the case is still unknown.
For some time now, the iPhone and iPad have been supporting the controllers of the popular game consoles from Microsoft and Sony in order to be able to play comfortably on the go. With the introduction of the new PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series S and X, there are new controllers that must first be supported by Apple's operating systems.
Apple and Microsoft cooperate to support the new Xbox controller
According to a recently updated support document, Apple hopes that this support for the new controller that ships with the Xbox Series X and S will appear in the near future. However, the company does not yet name a specific date, and merely states that they will "bring compatibility for the Xbox Series X controller to customers in a future update".
It is hoped that the new Microsoft controllers will be supported by the iPhone and iPad faster than the Xbox Elite 2 and Xbox Adaptive Controller. Here it took almost a year until the controllers could be used in iOS and iPadOS 14.
PlayStation 5 DualSense: first hints in iOS 14.3 beta
More specific indications of when new controllers will be supported are provided in the case of the PlayStation 5 DualSense. Here some observers have found hints in the beta of iOS 14.3, which point to relatively prompt support.
In contrast to the Microsoft controller, Apple currently does not mention the Sony controller by name in the above-mentioned support document. iOS 14.3 could be released this year, as it will probably lay the foundation for Apple Fitness+, which will be launched in various English-speaking regions this year.
