News

SteelSeries announces iOS7 Stratus wireless controller

By Ron Burke

Posted on January 6, 2014

There is no doubt that mobile gaming is certainly on the rise, and no platform represents that on a more global scale than Apple. If you are sporting an iOS 7 device, then SteelSeries has news for you. They are releasing a device called the Stratus Wireless Controller that is targeted at those mobile gamers, meant to provide a better controller experience for games that support it. I suspect it’ll get used for exactly that, and a lot of emulation gaming, but there is no doubt that this little device looks pretty great. Here’s a nibble:

A Game Changer
iOS 7 features embedded controller support—and as a result a new platform of gaming is emerging. For the first time on iOS, developers can create games that use traditional console control schemes to provide for an immersive and challenging gaming experience on iOS devices. The Stratus Controller from SteelSeries is the first Bluetooth controller for iOS devices; its sleek, lightweight design has a comfortable grip with 10+ hours of battery-life and features that are ideal for iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch gaming.

Complete Control
The Stratus Controller features a familiar console-style layout with the a pressure-sensitive directional pad (D-pad), 4 pressure-sensitive action buttons and 4 pressure-sensitive shoulder buttons, in addition to dual analog sticks, a dedicated pairing button to connect to iOS devices via Bluetooth and a convenient on/off switch to save on power. The battery life is estimated to be approximately 10 hours on a full charge, with an average full charge time estimated at 2 hours. It charges with an included USB connection cable.

The red LED indicator lights found in the middle of the controller display the number of controllers or player connections during multi-player gameplay – allowing up to 4 controllers to connect to a single device. There are a growing number of game titles available on the App Store that support game controller functionality in iOS 7 and more titles are likely to be added over the coming months.

The controller is available within the next month, so you can pre-order today at the usual places, including the official site at an MSRP of $99.99.

Ron Burke

Executive Director and Editor-in-Chief | [email protected]

Ron Burke is the Editor in Chief for Gaming Trend. Currently living in Fort Worth, Texas, Ron is an old-school gamer who enjoys CRPGs, action/adventure, platformers, music games, and has recently gotten into tabletop gaming.

Ron is also a fourth degree black belt, with a Master's rank in Matsumura Seito Shōrin-ryū, Moo Duk Kwan Tang Soo Do, Universal Tang Soo Do Alliance, and International Tang Soo Do Federation. He also holds ranks in several other styles in his search to be a well-rounded fighter.

Ron has been married to Gaming Trend Editor, Laura Burke, for 28 years. They have three dogs - Pazuzu (Irish Terrier), Atë, and Calliope (both Australian Kelpie/Pit Bull mixes), and an Axolotl named Dagon!