Own an iPhone? These accessories will help elevate your mobile gaming experience

Razer Kishi

Although not cheap, the Razer Kishi is the most sought after third-party controller for iPhone you can find on the market. The Kishi mimics a pair of Nintendo Switch Joy-Cons but is designed for smartphones, including the iPhone. It’s not a typical game controller, as the Kishi’s halves are connected by a plastic-and-rubber strap. The iOS version directly connects to the iPhone, thanks to a Lightning connector, rather than using Bluetooth as most game controllers do.  The Razer-made Kishi has all the gaming buttons and its simplistic design works in favour of the controller. Using the Kishi is as easy as attaching your iPhone and detaching it. The good thing about the iOS version of the Kishi is that it works with most mobile games that are available on the App Store. Not to forget, the Razer Kishi is also compatible with games that are included as part of the Apple Arcade subscription. It isn’t cheap, though. At Rs 10,560, the Razer Kishi costs as such as buying a mid-range Android smartphone. Look, if you really want to play controller-based games on your iPhone, buying Razer’s switch-like controller is worth it even if it is priced on a higher side.

AirPods Max. (Image credit: Nandagopal Rajan/Indian Express)

AirPods Max

Even though the AirPods Max aren’t marketed as “gaming headphones”, they can supersize your gaming experience. Made of aluminium and stainless steel, the Max feels high-quality but weigh 385 grams, slightly heavier than more premium over-ear headphones. There’s so much to appreciate about the Max; the earcups are incredibly soft and comfortable for long periods of use. The Max produce fantastic sound and you should expect that from a pair of headphones priced at Rs 59,900. They also have a special spatial audio mode, which delivers surround sound. And, of course, the Max have active noise cancelling, which cancels unwanted incoming sound. The Max are incredible not just for gaming but also for listening to music and watching movies. The battery life lasts for 20 hours with noise cancellation on or off. The only reason not to buy the AirPods Max is the price, which is way more than what Bose and Sony charges for their premium noise-cancelling headphones. Despite the hefty price the AirPods Max commands, people still want them but they just can’t afford them.

DualShock 4. (Image credit: Amazon.in)

PlayStation DualShock 4 controller

If you don’t want to spend money on buying a controller for iPhone but still want to play controller-based games, the DualShock 4 for the PS4 delivers the best experience. The DualShock 4 is the same controller that comes with the PS4, so there is comfort in using the controller. With the DualShock 4, you can have a console-like gaming session on the iPhone, something you cannot possibly achieve without a physical controller. All you need to pair a controller with your iPhone, and try some of the games designed to use with controllers available on Apple Arcade and the App Store. It doesn’t have a built-in mount for the iPhone but you can buy it separately, in case you want. But even without a separate stand to hold your iPhone, the experience of using your DualShock 4 to play games on your iPhone is simply fantastic. Alternatively, you can also use an existing Xbox Wireless controller with your iPhone or iPad.

Furper Q8 Plus Coin Mobile screen joystick. (Image credit: Furper.com)

Furper Q8 Plus Coin Mobile screen joystick

One of the major issues with gaming on smartphones is that they lack physical controls like joysticks and shoulder buttons that are available on PlayStation Vita or Nintendo Switch. Now that you have games like Call of Duty: Mobile that are optimised for smartphones, gamers do want to have some sort of physical controllers on their devices. Since the iPhone lacks any sort of dedicated physical controllers to play games, accessories like a mobile gaming joystick come in handy. The Furper Q8 Plus coin mobile screen joystick can be placed anywhere on the iPhone screen wherever you would have to have tactile controls and start playing the game. Should the joystick harm your iPhone screen? No, at least what Furper.com, the website that sells this mobile screen joystick claims. The joystick is compatible with most games that require touch controls on iOS. A single pack of mobile screen joystick costs Rs 299,  which isn’t too pricey.