Potential First Image of MFi Gaming Controller Surfaces

During Apple's WWDC keynote, the company revealed that it would begin supporting MFi (Made for iPhone) certified gaming controllers. Since then, new details have emerged, suggesting that Apple is planning to partner with both Logitech and MOGA to work on the controllers.

Apple has thus far provided reference images displaying two different controller types; one that is a standalone handheld controller and another that is an iPhone enclosure. Kotaku today posted an image of the latter controller type, which the site says has been manufactured by Logitech.

With Steve Jobs no longer around to tell us these things aren't elegant enough for his device, it appears we'll finally get a proper gamepad for the iOS this year. This will be one of them, made by Logitech.

Can't tell you who gave it to us or where it was seen, but we can vouch for this image's authenticity. The controller is large enough to fit an iPhone 5. When iOS 7 introduces third-party controller support in the fall we'll see this thing, plus a bunch of others, probably. Apple evidently won't be making its own.

The image, which depicts what is probably an early prototype, shows a d-pad on the left side of the controller with a set of buttons on the right side. It looks fairly slim, and also sports a lightning connector. As our sister site TouchArcade points out, given the thriving iPhone and iPad accessory market, this is just the first of many controllers that will likely hit the market later this fall.