With the welcome news that the Apple TV is receiving a significant upgrade, things are getting interesting for the firm's oft-neglected little black box. Now, SteelSeries has unveiled what is touted as the very first dedicated game controller for the new set top box.
Though the new Apple TV does cater for gamers, with the device's remote or iPhone serving as game controllers, the Nimbus will no doubt be welcomed by those who hanker for a more full-bodied handheld controller experience. The MFI-certified (made-for-iPhone/iPod/iPad) SteelSeries controller will also work with Mac and recent iOS devices. It will be bundled with a companion iOS app that lists all available games compatible with the controller.
In the past, iOS game controllers have had a rather lackluster reputation overall, and while we certainly can't vouch for the Nimbus without getting hands-on, the firm does at least have plenty of experience in that area. The controller looks well-stocked with pressure-sensitive buttons, sporting a D-Pad, two thumbsticks, four shoulder buttons, and a menu button.
The Nimbus measures 150 x 110 x 63.2 mm (5.91 x 4.33 x 2.49 in), and promises 40-plus hours of play from its integrated Lithium-ion battery. Connectivity comes in the form of a Lightning connector for charging, and Bluetooth 4.0 for communicating with iOS, Mac and Apple TV devices.
The Nimbus will start rolling out to Apple Stores next month for US$49.95.
Product page: SteelSeries