Touchscreens still are n’t the weapon of pick for some gamers , which is why the folks atiControlPadhave been hard at body of work on a forcible controller handheld machine . On Monday , the company announce that it ’s lastly quick to start taking preorders .

The iControlPad borrows from the game control layout of the Nintendo DS and PlayStation Portable , offer a guiding pad of paper , two analog nubs , six buttons on the front and two more on the back . A unparalleled clamp scheme can fit out a phone number of popular smartphones and media players , including all generations of the iPhone , the iPod touch , BlackBerry Touch , and various Android phones .

While the original iControlPad prototype ( announcedway back in 2008 ) used the iPhone ’s Dock connector , the company has since switched to Bluetooth . This allow for both tractableness in the control ’s design and compatibility with a wide selection of devices and political platform .

When it come to iOS gadget , though , the fellowship warns that the iControlPad might not work with all exist games in their current state , since many are n’t plan to allow stimulant from extraneous Bluetooth gadget . The troupe hints that more jailbroken apps will support the iControlPad at launch , but so far , it has not bothered to create a list of apps that are known to be compatible .

Of naturally , the iControlPad is n’t the first attempt at bringing physical game controls to Apple ’s touchscreen machine . TheFling Game Controller for iPad , which earned aBest of Show awardat Macworld 2011 , expend low - tech suction cups , while the Joystick - It from ThinkGeek brings an onetime schooltime analog joystick to your 21st one C tablet .

That say , the iControlPad wait to be one of the most program - friendly game controller available , particularly since it hold both the iPhone and iPod touch and offers a button layout that is more typical of competing portable gaming platforms . However , the genuine motion is whether iOS game makers will take notice and decide to support the iControlPad .

If you ’ve been itching to lend some strong-arm controls to your touchscreen games , the iControlPad and a set of brackets will set you back $ 75 , while the pad itself is $ 60 . The company produced 3000 units for its first clutch , and they begin ship February 16 .

iControlPad