Yesterday Apple unveiled its long-awaited upgrade to the Apple TV, and while it certainly looks like the best version of the device so far, some were underwhelmed by it, especially those hoping it would have a stronger focus on gaming. Games were announced for the new Apple TV App Store, but unlike Amazon with its Fire TV, Apple wasn’t even providing a game controller.
Luckily for those hoping to game on the new device, SteelSeries is doing just that, with its Nimbus MFi game controller. The controller is even shown on the gaming section of the Apple TV product page, so Apple is definitely aware that a controller of this type is necessary. This may even be for the best, as a bad controller can ruin an otherwise decent product (see the Ouya) and SteelSeries has plenty of experience with gaming hardware.
The controller features a rechargeable battery offering over 40 hours of battery life and a built-in Lightning connector for fast charging. The product page for the Nimbus on SteelSeries’ website notes pressure-sensitive buttons, though from the image shown it’s hard to see if both shoulder buttons are pressure-sensitive, or if just the lower two are.
The Nimbus uses Bluetooth for connectivity, and since it uses Apple’s MFi, it will also work with your iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, and Mac. The controller features a menu button for instant navigation, but this will likely only work with the Apple TV.
While the SteelSeries Nimbus is the only controller announced for and aimed at the new Apple TV so far, don’t expect things to stay that way for long. Apple supports any third-party controller using MFi, so expect names like Mad Catz to be announcing their own controllers for the device in the fairly near future.
The SteelSeries Nimbus will launch alongside the new Apple TV in October and will sell for $50, a fairly reasonable price considering the price of other third-party game controllers on the market. The controller will be available from Apple both in-store and online.
