iPhone 5 Family Gets Game Controllers from Moga, Logitech

Moga Ace Power

Despite the early leaks, PowerA officially introduced on Wednesday a new Moga controller, built for the iPhone 5s, iPhone 5c, iPhone 5 and fifth generation iPod Touch running iOS 7, called the Moga Ace Power. The game peripheral is available now for $99.99 at Apple Retail Stores, from the Apple Online Store, or at the official Moga website.

"The Moga Ace Power features a unique portable design that expands to play and collapses to easily fit in pockets and bags," reads the press release. "The Ace Power transforms the mobile gaming experience with console-style controls. It allows gamers to secure their iPhone or iPod touch in the Moga Arm with S.M.R.T. Lock technology, gaining peace of mind for their gaming sessions."

The controller connects to the iPhone 5 and iPod Touch via the Lightning connector. As the images show, on the left side iOS gamers will find the L1/R1 buttons on the shoulder, an analog stick on the top portion, a directional button below that, pause and select buttons, and a switch for turning on the peripheral. On the right are the L2/R2 buttons on the shoulder, the typical XYAB action button setup, and a second analog stick below those.

The Ace Power also has a built-in 1800 mAh battery and Moga Boost technology for charging the phone or iPod Touch during gameplay. "With the new Made for iPhone controller framework built into iOS 7, Moga anticipates a flood of game developers to take advantage of controller support," the press release adds. "Mobile versions of traditional game genres such as first-person shooters, action, arcade, family, and sports/racing games will now be played with console-style controls."

For more on Moga Boost, read our Moga Pro Power and Hero Power Android controller review.

Logitech PowerShell Controller + Battery

Meanwhile, Logitech has also released a game controller for the same devices supporting iOS 7, the PowerShell Controller + Battery. Unlike the MOGA version, this model has a fixed shape, resembling a case with added gaming buttons. Thus iPhone 5 and fifth generation iPod Touch owners simply drop the device into the empty socket in the center.

"We designed this first-of-its-kind controller for a true console-gaming experience on an iOS 7 mobile device," said Ehtisham Rabbani, general manager of the Logitech gaming business. "With gaming so pervasive on the mobile platform – our research shows that 87% of iPhone and iPod touch users play games on their device – it’s time to revolutionize the experience."

The controller lacks analog sticks, but provides a directional button on the left side, along with an L1 shoulder button, and the typical XYAB action button and R1 shoulder button setup on the right. This controller also provides full access to power on/off, volume, camera, speakers, headphone jack and charging. A built-in 1500 mAh battery increases the battery capacity of the device, and both devices can be recharged without removing the phone or iPod Touch from its cradle.

The Logitech PowerShell Controller + Battery is available online beginning today for $99.99 at BestBuy and the Apple Online Store. The product is expected to be available with additional retailers globally in December.