Nintendo’s retro controllers now work on iPhone, iPad, Apple TV and Mac

At WWDC 2022 earlier this year, Apple announced a bunch of gaming improvements coming with iOS 16, including support for Nintendo’s Joy-Con and Pro controllers. Now you’ll also be able to use Nintendo’s upgraded retro gamepads with your iPhone, iPad, Mac, and even Apple TV. Developer Stephen Troughton-Smith has discovered that iOS 16.1 and tvOS 16.1 support Nintendo’s SNES-style Switch controllers, a modern version of their classic counterparts with wireless connectivity and a USB-C charging port.

In his tweet with a video demonstrating the capabilities, Troughton-Smith said he believes Apple’s platforms already support the N64 and NES controllers for the Switch as well. MacStories conducted its own tests and confirmed that the SNES-style controllers also work with iPad OS 16.1 and macOS Ventura. Additionally, the release was able to use the modern N64 controller with Apple devices. Gamepads show up in Bluetooth settings when in pairing mode like any other device.

The Apple App Store doesn’t support video game emulators, so you’ll still need to boot your Switch to play your games for the console and its subscription service. But like AppleInsider notes, you can use these gamepads for Apple Arcade and other supported titles in the App Store.