- By Prateek Levi
- Mon, 14 Sep 2026 04:38 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Apple could be looking beyond third-party gamepads for the iPhone. The company is reportedly working on two game controllers of its own, and they may eventually be launched under the Beats brand.
The controllers have reportedly shown up in Apple's software, giving us an early look at some of the hardware Apple is testing. The references point to two different models, with differences in motion sensing and haptic feedback. Apple, however, has not announced either controller yet, so there is no official information about their design, price or launch timeline.
Apple Has Reportedly Been Working On The Controllers For More Than A Year
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman says Apple has been working on the game controllers for more than a year. According to his latest Power On newsletter, Beats executives are involved in the project, and the controllers are expected to carry the Beats name if they eventually reach the market.
The two devices have appeared in software with the codenames T6502 and T1057. They were reportedly found in the macOS 26.7 release candidate earlier this month.
Interestingly, both controllers seem to have a fairly standard gamepad layout. The reported hardware includes a D-pad, two thumbsticks, shoulder buttons and analogue triggers, along with Home and Menu buttons.
The differences start to show when it comes to motion and haptics. The T1057 reportedly includes both an accelerometer and a gyroscope, meaning it would be able to detect movement. The T6502, on the other hand, is said to have no motion sensors.
There were also dedicated hardware plug-ins for both devices in the software. That makes it look like Apple may have been testing actual controller hardware rather than simply adding support for another third-party gamepad. Still, there is no way to rule out the possibility that these were internal prototypes being used during development.
Apple also removed the references from the second macOS 26.7 release candidate. For now, that leaves the fate of the two controllers uncertain.
Apple Could Finally Make Its Own Gaming Accessory
Apple already supports several popular gamepads, including controllers made for Xbox, PlayStation and Nintendo consoles. What it has not done so far is make a dedicated controller of its own.
A Beats-branded controller would therefore be an interesting move, particularly as Apple continues to push gaming on the iPhone and other devices. That said, it is still too early to say whether either of the reported controllers will actually go on sale.
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Gurman also mentioned Apple's retail operations in the latest newsletter and hinted at changes coming to the company's stores, although he did not provide details about what those changes could involve.
The newsletter also touches on Apple's upcoming iPhone Duo. Gurman expects the foldable iPhone to help bring more attention to foldable smartphones, a category that currently makes up only around 2 per cent of global smartphone shipments.