Logitech's New iOS 7 Gamepad for iPhone 5 May Offer Just What Gamers Want

Gaming on smartphones isn't likely to go away any time soon. With both casual gamers and core gamers getting in on the fun, it has an appeal broad enough to assure continued activity. But there are still some issues in terms of providing the best possible experience. Central to the issue of providing a great gaming experience is proper controls, and from the look of things, peripheral maker Logitech may be in line to provide a new gamepad that looks to offer iPhone 5 gamers a terrific experience.

Based on leaked photos, the device looks to slip over the iPhone 5 itself, encasing it and using the iPhone 5 itself as a center screen. A direction pad control is located on one side of the device, while a set of five buttons is off to the other side. Near the buttons, on the inside of the well that looks intended for the iPhone 5 itself is a Lightning connector port as well as a branding logo near the direction pad that appears in the shape of a stylized “G,” likely related to a larger line of devices that Logitech is set to bring out.

Reports further indicate that the Logitech pad in question will be particularly useful in the Apple Game Center, and that it's only one of what will eventually be a crowd of such devices made available from third parties for use on the new Apple hardware. But, it's worth noting that the reports indicate that Apple won't be offering any support for these controllers. The impact of this development shouldn't prove a problem given that Logitech has already brought out hardware for Apple devices in the past, particularly its iPad keyboard.

Logitech's status as a peripheral maker has been built over several years and has often produced some impressive hardware releases. Keyboards, mice, joysticks and more, Logitech's ability to produce controllers for both apps and games alike has a lot of history behind it. It's also gratifying to see that other hardware producers, if nothing else, are seeing the huge potential of the iPhone as a gaming device. Granted, Android devices have similar potential, but their designs are often so widely varied that producing one device for all of them would be downright difficult.

It helps that Logitech's design is rational and looks like it will work very well with the iPhone 5 as a whole. Just when it finally comes out is as yet unclear, but changes are there will be more than a few gamers looking to add Logitech's gamepad—or perhaps one of its competitors' versions instead—to their collective arsenal when it does make its debut.