How to Set Up and Game With an iOS Controller on Your iPhone or iPad

The iPad and iPhone have become increasingly capable gaming devices, but while many games are built with the iOS touch screen interface in mind, some games simply don’t play well with touch screen controls. This is especially true of games that weren’t necessarily built for the touch screen era, such as classic game remakes, console ports, and more “traditional” game types like first person shooters and open-world action games. To play many of these types of games with the best possible experience, you’ll want to use a compatible iOS controller or gamepad. Here’s how to get started and take your iOS gaming to the next level.

We’ll first note that this article discusses official iOS controllers and gamepads only. Several solutions exist for using unofficial hardware, such as standard Xbox and Playstation controllers, with jailbroken iOS devices, but we’ll be focusing on the officially supported solutions going forward, as jailbreaks are a moving target and aren’t available for all iOS devices and software versions.