It is a well-known fact that the world of product patents and the real world of actual products are about as far apart as Timbuktu and Tennessee, but every now and again, a filing pops up that necessitates both attention and speculation.
This is one of those filings: Apple has patented a design for an iPhone that features a pop-out joypad. According to a report at Forbes, which uncovered the filing dated from 2013 and published last week, the "multi-function input device" allows games players to overcome the "shortcomings" of touch screen games, such as interfering "with the user's ability to see what he is controlling and/or other portions of the game display."
It goes on to state that the built-in controller, which is enabled through a spring mechanism, would be useful for games that demand tactile feedback," the application states. "Some gamers hold the opinion that realistic game play cannot be fully experienced without joysticks and/or tactile buttons. Users may desire to use a first kind of input device for various applications and a second kind of input device for various other applications. However, providing multiple different kinds of input devices may be complicated, expensive, and may not be possible within space constraints (such as in the cases of portable devices such as tablet computers or smart phones). Further, providing some input devices, such as joysticks, may expose components of the input devices that project outward to damage and/or otherwise compromising the aesthetics of electronic devices in which the input devices are incorporated."
All I know is that I've never been a huge fan of touch-based gaming and something akin to this would be a godsend for old-school gamers like me. Apple, make this happen.
Check out a couple of the device diagrams below:
