SteelSeries and Apple are up to something, and it's something real good. The Cupertino brand recommends the SteelSeries Nimbus to online customers to go along with the fourth-gen Apple TV for multiplayer gaming.
At first, the Apple TV's Bluetooth compatibility was thought to support only wireless speakers and headphones, as wireless keyboards and controllers designed for other devices didn't work. Apparently, Apple had in mind a specific wireless controller made for the Apple TV, and it's a match made in heaven.
The SteelSeries Nimbus supports Bluetooth 4.1, and it's a lot like popular gaming controllers. Although it lacks motion sensors or rumble actuator found in PlayStation controllers, it does have fluid analog joysticks. On top of that, it has buttons similar to Xbox controllers — the complete A, B, X and Y set. With a very responsive four-way D-pad, it's easily an instant controller designed for some hardcore gaming. Also, it's fitted with the standard L1, L2, R1 and R2 buttons on its backside.
The wireless controller also features a Menu button in the middle, which is used to navigate on the Apple TV. However, it doesn't have trackpad, motion and mic support to use Siri's voice-activated commands. This means that the controller can't exactly replace the Apple Siri Remote to fully enjoy the Apple TV experience. Also, the Apple TV can only accommodate one Siri Remote at a time, so using multiple remotes is out of the question.
The SteelSeries Nimbus comes with a rechargeable battery pack that can give up to 40 hours' worth of gaming on a single charge. On its top, it has a Lightning connector that's used to recharge it.
The controller is also compatible on other iOS devices, starting from the iPad 4, iPhone 5 and fifth-gen iPod touch to later models. It also works on Macs with OS X 10.9 or later.
"Use your Nimbus controller to play hundreds of games on all your iOS devices, including the new Apple TV. With the most popular games for every genre, you'll have full control of your favorite games," SteelSeries says on the Nimbus page.
The SteelSeries Nimbus designed for the Apple TV is priced at $49.95. The Siri Remote has a price tag of $79, and it has an optional $12.99 Remote Loop to keep the remote from flying off your hand, which looks like a page out of Nintendo's playbook.
