MCV/DEVELOP News, events, research and jobs from the games industry
All Apple TV games must be playable with the company’s newly-unveiled remote controller, it has emerged.
While developers are welcome to make their titles compatible with MFi controller that are more in keeping with a traditional gamepad, they must not require such a device to be played.
According to TouchArcade, The revelation came when a developer spotted a section of the tvOS App Programming Guide that stated: “Your game must support the Apple TV remote. Your game may not require the use of a controller”.
However, the limitations of the remote controller’s input may be a concern for potential developers. The device’s gaming functionality focuses on the touch area at the top that registers swiping, clicking and tapping. There is also motion sensors built into the remote for motion-controlled gameplay.
While this seems to offer plenty of options, the lack of buttons, joypads and triggers may make it difficult for certain types of games to be controlled intuitively.
On the one hand, it’s an understandable decision because Apple is unlikely to want to force users to buy third-party hardware for Apple TV. But it’s an odd move given the device’s potential for gaming on the big screen.
TouchArcade also reports that the decision to prevent developers from requiring the use of gamepads was only introduced last week.
