Following leaks and speculation, Moga has unveiled the first official hardware game controller for iOS 7 devices such as the iPhone 5, iPhone 5S, iPhone 5C and the fifth-generation iPod Touch. With a price tag of $99, the Moga Ace Power brings physical buttons, triggers and analogue sticks to Apple’s handheld devices, giving their massive library of games a more solid controller experience.
While there hasn’t been a shortage of quality games in the App Store for several years, the main drawback of iPhone gaming has been the often subpar touchscreen controls. The new Ace Power, which Moga worked closely with Apple to develop, is an attempt at rectifying that, with a button layout similar to that of dedicated game consoles. When in use, the device is situated around the phone, which keeps the screen in the middle and the buttons on the sides, just like on handheld consoles such as the PS Vita.
The Moga Ace Power also comes with several other hardware features. It connects to the iPhone via the Lightning port, and not via Bluetooth as many other accessories. This saves a lot of battery power, and if that’s not enough, the controller comes with its own battery, which can even charge the phone itself if needed. There’s also a headphone jack, for those times when you don’t want everybody around you to know what you’re playing. As the Ace Power covers the phone’s headphone jack, this isn’t as much a feature as a necessity. A LED indicator shows the battery life of the unit, and it has a button which can be used to lock and unlock the phone.
Because this is the first in what will probably be a long line of official game controllers for iOS 7 devices, there are some compatibility issues with unoptimized software. For instance, on-screen buttons still show up in some games even though the Moga Ace Power is connected to the phone.