Apple this week announced
<https://www.macrumors.com/2019/06/03/apple-tv-xbox-one-ps4-controller-suppo
rt/> that iOS 13 <https://www.macrumors.com/roundup/ios-13/> and iPadOS
<https://www.macrumors.com/roundup/ipados/> will introduce full support for
Sony's DualShock 4 controller, which is the main game controller for the
PlayStation 4. This announcement, along with confirmation of Xbox One S
controller support, is great for iOS gamers, but even more enticing thanks
to Sony's existing Remote Play app for iOS.
Released in March
<https://www.macrumors.com/2019/03/07/sony-ios-remote-play-app/> , the
Remote Play app [Direct Link
<https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ps4-remote-play/id1436192460?mt=8> ] lets
you connect your iPhone or iPad <https://www.macrumors.com/roundup/ipad/>
to your PS4 to stream and play games while away from your living room (but
still on a Wi-Fi network, because the app doesn't support cellular
connectivity). At launch, the app worked well and provided a sample of what
it would be like to play games like Overwatch and Assassin's Creed: Odyssey
on your iPhone, but the touchscreen controls and lack of full support for
certain buttons on existing MFi controllers left many games nearly
unplayable.
Now, with iOS 13 and DualShock 4 support, your iPhone or iPad will
essentially be a portable PS4. You'll encounter all of the usual PS4-related
controls, including full support for the console's dashboard, store, and
user profiles. You can even allow it access to your iOS microphone to talk
to your friends in a party or through game chat.
We used a DualShock 4 to play Kingdom Hearts 3 on the iOS 13 developer beta.
There are some downsides to the Remote Play app, including the fact that
some games are not compatible with it and won't let you stream or control
the game from your iOS device. But, for the games that do support Remote
Play, users will have a chance to play full console titles right from their
iPhone.
DualShock 4 and Xbox One S controller support also have the ability to
enhance other gaming apps, like the recently released
<https://www.macrumors.com/2019/05/15/valves-steam-link-app-now-available-on
-ios/> Steam Link app for iOS. Valve's app lets you stream your Steam games
to iPhone or iPad, as long as your mobile device and PC are on the same
Wi-Fi network. Once connected, you can use your iOS device to play Steam
games, many of which already support DualShock 4 and Xbox controllers.
Microsoft is working on a mobile streaming app of its own
<https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2019/03/12/project-xcloud-choice-for-how-and-wh
en-you-play/> , which could come to iOS devices as well. But, as of now,
Xbox One gamers have to look into third-party options for streaming to an
iPhone or iPad, like the $11.99 OneCast app [Direct Link
<https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/onecast-xbox-game-streaming/id1398182637?mt
=8> ]. Similar to Sony Remote Play, OneCast streams Xbox One games to iOS
devices that are connected to a Wi-Fi network.
Besides iOS 13 and iPadOS, tvOS 13
<https://www.macrumors.com/roundup/tvos-13/> is gaining support for the
DualShock 4 and Xbox One S controller as well. Apple's support for these
controllers will be timed alongside the release of Apple Arcade
<https://www.macrumors.com/guide/apple-arcade/> , an all-new subscription
service for iOS, iPadOS, and tvOS that will present users with high-quality
games that they can play on-demand while subscribing to the platform.
