Apple products are certainly not the first things that come to mind when thinking about gaming in general. SteelSeries, the well established gaming peripheral producing company, has revealed a new controller that aims to change that. TheĀ SteelSeries Stratus, highlighted at this year’s CES, is a wireless controller designed for use with iOS platforms, and is targeted at mobile gaming in general.
The new controller from SteelSeries is designed to be compatible with iPhones, Ipads and Ipod Touches. In addition, AirPlay and AppleTV support is included. The controller connects to devices through Bluetooth, being the first wireless controller specifically designed for these platforms. The controller has everything you’d expect from a regular console controller, such as dual analog sticks, a D-pad and action buttons. Battery life is promoted to last for 10 hours, and 4 Stratuses can be connected to the same device simultaneously.
Some hardware based companies have already reviewed the controller, and the opinions on it are mixed. While it does get the job done, not all games seem to be compatible with the SteelSeries controller, and most reviewers highlighted that the steep price of $99 is not entirely justified.
Our take? While we’re glad to see iOS platforms receiving some much-needed attention, we’re not thrilled by the overall design of the SteelSeries Stratus. It seems bland and doesn’t stand out at all. In addition, it’s only suitable for small or average hand-size; people with larger palms and longer fingers might have problems handling the device for a longer period of time. Lastly, until it works with at least most games (if not all) and the price drops significantly, we just can’t seem to find any solid reasons to recommend acquiring it.
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