Thermaltake starts to attack mobile gaming with Contour game controller for iPhone and iPad

Game controllers of various shapes and sizes aren't uncommon for iOS gamers so the Contour will need to have some good stuff in order to stand out from the crowd. At the recent Computex show out in Taipei, we had chance to check one out first hand.

It's not perfect, but it's a pretty good first attempt.

Visually the Contour could be compared a little to the Xbox One controller. You've got a virtually identical button layout, it's of a similar size and even the bumpers and triggers are about the same size and location. One big benefit to this is that the Contour is comfortable to hold. It's pretty flat on the front and back but even so, it'll probably be pretty good for lengthy gaming sessions.

The sticks feel pretty good, they're flat topped which may not suit everyone, but I like that, gets a good grip on them. The buttons and triggers have a decent feel to them on pressing/pulling, the only real criticism is that the directional pad is perhaps a little, well, 'mushy.'

It works with both the iPhone and iPad but naturally you can't attach the iPad to the controller. You can just as easily attach an iPhone 5s as you can an iPhone 6 Plus with the adjustable clip. And let's face it, a 5.5-inch display just above a controller like this is going to do a pretty awesome job.

Spec wise, we've already mentioned that it's MFi approved. It'll need iOS 7 and above and connects using Bluetooth on an iPhone 5 and above as well as the 5th generation iPod touch. The built in battery is good for a claimed 10 hours of use, so you can get through a pretty long flight or road trip without worrying about needing to charge.

The charging takes place through microUSB, so you will need a second cable in your bag (or pack one cable and Apple's microUSB to Lightning adapter.) When you can buy one the suggested retail price is $79.99, though at the time of writing purchasing one doesn't seem to be something you can do.

Thermaltake Contour

Richard Devine

Editor at iMore, part time racing driver, full time British guy. Follow him on Twitter and Google+