Apple already supports nearly every major game controller, but new evidence suggests that the company may want to add its own hardware to the mix.
Apple may be looking to expand its ambitions beyond software and platform support. Newly discovered code references two unreleased controllers with notably different feature sets.
The references appeared within code briefly included in macOS 26.7, first spotted by pdfu, a MacRumors forum regular. The controllers in question are identified as “T6502” and “T1057”.
The game controllers will likely be similar to others that already exist on the market. There are notable differences between T6502 and T1057, though.
Both will feature a four-button ABXY layout, two clickable thumbtacks, shoulder buttons, analog triggers, and Home and Menu buttons. Essentially, they’ll have the same functionality as any of the first- or third-party PlayStation- or Xbox-like controllers out there.
T6502, the more basic of the pair, will also see the addition of an Options button. It will connect via USB only, and does not feature motion sensors or motion input through Apple’s GCMotion interface.
There will be no touchpad-like controls, rear buttons, speakers, microphones, or other advanced features.
Perhaps the most interesting part is Apple’s haptic channels. T6502 will utilize four separate haptic channels in software: Left, Left (Synthetic), Right, and Right (Synthetic).
According to pdfu, this may be created to let two software haptic request channels share the same physical motor. This should allow for proper feedback and reduce distortion and clipping.
T1507 seems to be the higher-end of the pair. It will connect via USB, as well as Bluetooth and Beats USB; it will not feature an Options button.
Its motor system doesn’t divide out synthetic channels. Instead, it has a single, addressable actuator motor.
It also includes an accelerometer and gyroscope. This should allow for input via acceleration and gyroscope readings on the X, Y, and Z axes.
The code was initially customer-facing. As pdfu notes, the references were pulled in the second release of macOS 26.7.
Late to the game
It’s not entirely clear why Apple would be creating a game controller now. The controller market is crowded with well-established first- and third-party options.
Apple has spent years expanding support for controllers that players likely already own, including those from PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo, and countless third-parties. With plenty of options available at nearly every price point, an Apple-made controller would need to offer something more than just bog-standard game controls.
That isn’t to say it wouldn’t sell well if they did. There will always be a market for things Apple makes, a lesson we’ve learned from products like the iPhone Pocket and the original $19 Polishing Cloth.
This story originally appeared on Appleinsider
