Report: Apple Developing iPhone Game Controllers That Could Use Beats Branding

Apple is developing game controllers for the iPhone and may release them under the Beats brand, according to a new report. The accessories have not been announced by Apple, and their final branding, design and release plans remain unconfirmed.

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported in the September 13 edition of his Power On newsletter that the controller project has been in development for more than a year. Gurman said Beats executives are leading the product concept and engineering, and that he has consistently heard the accessories are intended for the Beats brand.

The report follows an earlier software clue. MacRumors reported that macOS 26.7 beta code contained game-controller profiles for two unreleased hardware devices identified as T6502 and T1057. Those references suggest Apple has tested at least two controller projects, but code found in beta software does not guarantee that either product will reach stores.

Bloomberg has not reported a price or launch window, and it is unclear what form the controllers would take. The report also does not establish whether they would work with Apple devices beyond the iPhone. Apple could still alter or cancel hardware that remains in development.

An Apple-backed controller would enter an established accessory market rather than create a new capability for the iPhone. Apple’s current support documentation says compatible controllers can connect to an iPhone over Bluetooth or a wired connection, with button customization and support for navigating the Apple Games app.

Using Beats would also keep the product within Apple’s corporate family while giving it a different consumer identity. Apple acquired Beats Electronics in 2014, and the brand has since expanded beyond headphones into accessories including cables and iPhone cases. For now, however, an Apple- or Beats-branded iPhone controller remains reported hardware rather than a confirmed product.