Apple's latest surprise? iPhone maker is reportedly developing game controllers for its handsets under Beats brand

Apple may be preparing to break into the mobile gaming accessory business with its own mobile gaming controller for the iPhone. The accessories are said to be under the Beats brand and potentially provide users with a third-party controller option from companies like Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has reported that Apple has been developing the controllers for over a year. The company is said to be planning to market them as Beats wares, and Beats executives are quoted as being involved in their development. Apple hasn't officially confirmed that it's working on this project; there is no word on pricing, design or availability.

Apple game controllers could come in two variants

Apple is developing a new pair of controllers, one that's mostly for the iPhone, according to Gurman's newest newsletter, Power On, which was released on September 13. The devices are said to have internal codenames T6502 and T1057.

MacRumors reports that both controllers were spotted in the macOS 26.7 release candidate, ahead of the official release. The software references indicated that the two models could differ in their motion-sensing and haptic capabilities.

Both controllers have a D-pad, two thumbsticks, shoulder buttons, analogue triggers and Home and Menu buttons. This means Apple might be going towards the standard console gaming experience instead of a simplified mobile game console.

One controller could support motion controls

The T1057 is said to have an accelerometer and a gyroscope. Some games could utilise the motion control features of these sensors, as seen in some console controllers. The T6502, on the other hand, reportedly features no motion sensors. The two models are also likely to be different in terms of vibration and haptic feedback.

The presence of separate hardware plug-ins for both on macOS makes it seem more likely that they are real hardware projects. The references could also have been about internal prototypes Apple used in the process of developing controller support.

Apple has yet to confirm the controllers

Apple's second release candidate of macOS 26.7 has apparently deleted references to controllers. It does not confirm that the project has been cancelled, but it indicates that the company has yet to publicly reveal its plans.

Apple doesn't sell its own gaming controller; instead, it has to support gamepads from the Xbox, PlayStation and Nintendo gamers. A controller sporting the Beats' trademark logo might thus signal another step toward boosting gaming accessories for the iPhone. So the reported controllers' launch date, pricing and final design are yet unknown.