Apple has published a game controller framework for iOS 7, and that OS X 10.9 "Mavericks" will also have controller support. The move is Apple's response to the booming iOS game market, but the firm also stresses that any games written to take advantage of controllers must also be playable without them. It's unknown if Apple plans to manufacture any of these controllers itself.

Specifications have been created to ensure a consistent set of control elements for two types of gamepads. Standard controllers will presumably be based on the design pictured on the left, while "extended" ones will add the analog joysticks, secondary shoulder buttons, and LED array portrayed on the right. Gamepad makers "may choose slightly different physical layouts," but the actual controls will have to adhere to the standard and extended gamepad profiles used by the OS.

Apple shows controller framework for iOS 7