Apple Arcade fans may have just got the controller of their dreams
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If you’re an Apple Arcade subscriber, you might want to have a look at PowerA’s new iPhone controller.
The PowerA MOGA XP5-i Plus controller for iPhone devices looks to be well-suited to playing the vast Apple Arcade library. And it’s available to buy from PowerA’s own store as well as Amazon for $79.99 (around £66.99 / AU$114.99). Other regions and pricing are yet to be announced, however.
What makes the MOGA XP5-i Plus particularly enticing? The headline feature has to be its built-in 3,000mAh power bank. This will let the controller charge your phone when it’s connected, keeping you topped up for longer gaming sessions.
The controller also features customizable button mapping, allowing you to swap around inputs based on your needs and preferences. This is bound to be a winning feature not just for playing the best Apple Arcade games, but also popular mobile titles like PUBG Mobile and Apex Legends.
Playing with power
We’ve all been there. You’ve just reached a pivotal boss fight in a JRPG like Fantasian, or PUBG Mobile’s final circle… but your phone’s battery has other ideas. That’s something that should hopefully be a thing of the past with the MOGA XP5-i Plus’s integrated power bank.
This is what I feel is the PowerA controller’s crowning feature, especially for avid Apple Arcade players. And while it’s not the first mobile controller to have a built-in power bank (PowerA’s excellent MOGA XP5-X Plus featured one a couple of years back), this latest iteration is a big win for iOS device owners looking to game on the go for longer.
That brings me on to what’s perhaps the MOGA XP5-i Plus’s biggest drawback, though. As it’s tailored for iOS devices like the iPhone, iPad and Apple TV 4K, you won’t be able to use it on other platforms like Android.
That’s a shame, but PowerA has a solid track record of making quality mobile controllers for a variety of platforms. The aforementioned MOGA XP5-X Plus, for example, does work with all the best Android phones.
Still, if you do own an iOS device, I think PowerA’s latest controller is one to watch. That’s especially true if you’re keen on the Apple Arcade game list, which features many console-quality titles that are a cut above those on Apple’s App Store.