Plug NES USB game controllers into iPhone with GameDock

GameDock is an iPhone dock that comes with game controller ports. Kyle Orland:

"At $125 per Dock (plus the cost of an iOS device), the GameDock at first looks a bit less attractive than the $99 Ouya, which is self-contained. But the creators note the power of Apple's iOS devices and the existing library of proven, working games as benefits, and say they think keeping the TV interface separate from the actual mobile platform is actually the better way to go."

• [Stephen Schenck]

  Splitting hairs: this doesn’t support NES controllers.  It only works with USB peripherals (like the USB-customized ones seen above)

  One that supported native NES pads would be awesome as hell, but I’m not surprised the creators took this more useful (if slightly less cool) route.

• [bcsizemo]

  Not to just nitpick here, but aren’t iOS games really designed around not having a controller?  I mean the iPhone/iPad doesn’t really have any buttons.  So wouldn’t that make games less intuitive than using them in their native touch environment?  Kind of like when console/PC games get a shitty port and are more or less not adapted well to their new system.

  • [Rob Beschizza]

    I think the intended scenario is mostly emulators, retrogames and modern arcade-style titles where there’s a clear rationale for buttons.

• [Russell Fincher]

  For those interested, GameDock is intended to be used with supported iCade-enabled iOS games. Full list here:

  http://www.ionaudio.com/products/icade-games

• [Steve Collins]

  In a similar line, there’s an android app that will allow your phone to sync with a Sixaxis Playstation controller. To both I say, “What’s the point of that, I wonder? I mean, I see how they did it. I just ain’t gettin’ the why.”

• [Dan DeStefano]

  Nintendo isn’t putting their NES games on iOS anytime soon, so why do we want NES controllers?

• [teapot]

  This is for Emulators. You don’t need to wait for Nintendo to release their games for iOS or android when there are already a plethora of emulator options and ROMs for basically every game ever released. The reason a hardwired controller is required is because the on-screen version interferes with gameplay and is usually less responsive than a game controller.

  My question: why aren’t there bluetooth controllers already? Seems that wireless would be WAY better than buying some crazy dock AND wired controls.

  • [nick]

    Especially given the dock uses Bluetooth to comminicate to the iThing.

    I’m thinking of building my own using a sparkfun BlueSMIRF HID module.