Apple designing its own iPhone game controllers, possibly under Beats brand, Gurman says

Apple is designing its own game controllers for iPhone, 9to5Mac reported Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, citing Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman corroborating earlier macOS beta code finds. The reporting does not amount to an official Apple announcement — designs, prices, and ship dates remain unconfirmed — but it puts Cupertino on a path to sell first-party hardware in a category where it currently stocks third-party pads.

Code spotted in the macOS 26.7 release candidate pointed to two controller model identifiers, T6502 and T1057, MacRumors reported Sept. 4 after reader Pdfu dug through the first RC. Those GameController profiles described standard pad components — D-pad, dual thumbsticks, shoulder buttons, Home and Menu buttons, analog triggers — plus different haptic designs. T1057 also showed accelerometer and gyroscope support for motion controls; T6502 did not. Dedicated hardware plug-ins for each device suggested real hardware rather than empty placeholders, though MacRumors noted Apple later removed the references in a subsequent RC and that the strings could still be internal test gear.

Gurman’s read, per 9to5Mac, is that the accessory effort is overseen by Beats executives and may ultimately ship under the Beats brand — a familiar Apple play for accessories that sit at a lower price point with slightly cheaper materials than the core Apple logo usually implies. Apple already sells third-party controllers through the Apple Store, including the Backbone One and SteelSeries Nimbus+. iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV users can already pair MFi-compatible pads plus console controllers such as PlayStation DualShock/DualSense and Xbox Wireless Controllers.

A first-party or Beats-branded pad would not invent iPhone gaming, but it would give Apple a direct cut of the attachable-controller market and another reason to push AAA and Arcade titles across iOS, Mac, and Apple TV 4K. Until Apple or Beats puts something on a stage or in a store listing, treat T6502/T1057 as strong code signals plus Gurman corroboration — not a launch schedule.