iPhones, iPads, and Macs will now officially support connections to wired Xbox controllers following Apple’s latest update, according to reports. This improves on the previous feature that only allowed pairing of game controllers via Bluetooth. Apple’s expanded support for gaming accessories comes as the company is rolling out major games for its devices, with Resident Evil Village, Assassin’s Creed Phantoms and Death Stranding already available for players.
Introduced support for wired Xbox controllers
Wired Xbox controllers are now compatible with Apple devices after the latest iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS 15 Sequoia updates, MacRumors reports. Prior to the update, only PlayStation controllers supported wired connections, while Xbox controllers could connect via Bluetooth. It is worth noting that the latest update for Apple’s iPhone is iOS 18.0.1, which was launched yesterday.
The report suggests that Xbox uses a custom USB protocol to connect its controllers to the device, and Apple’s latest update supports this protocol. Gamers can use a USB Type-C to Type-C cable to connect the controller to an iPhone, iPad or Mac.
Additionally, even those with older Apple devices using its proprietary Lightning port can take advantage of this feature, albeit with a few caveats. They need to separately purchase the Lightning to USB camera adapter, which can be purchased on the Apple website for Rs. 2,900.
Other updates
Apple recently launched iOS 18.1 Developer Beta 6 and Public Beta 3 updates for iPhone, introducing new features. They’ve added new dedicated Control Center switches for AirDrop and Satellite. There are also new Measure and Level shortcut keys.
The notification summary also gets a new feature that displays the number of received notifications next to the stack on the lock screen. Apple has also introduced sleep apnea detection recording and notifies users of any breathing disturbances. Its details can be accessed in the Health app on iPhone.
