SteelSeries Stratus
This miniature marvel is smaller than even Nintendo’s NES controller
Unlike previous iOS game controllers (see MacFormat 271), your iPhone doesn’t fit into the Stratus. It works over Bluetooth, so it also works with iPads. It’s small and comes with a travel cover for its controls that can be fixed to the back, so there’s more to grasp when playing. The cover is a poor fit, though, and sometimes pops off.
The Stratus is based on Apple’s extended controller layout, which features additional controls making it good for more games. It has two (slightly stiff ) analogue sticks and two shoulder buttons on each side.
There’s little space between the shoulder buttons, so the front pair have bumps on them to help you feel your way around. It’s difficult to get used to their close proximity. Few games depend on adjacent horizontal shoulder buttons needing to pressed simultaneously, but in Sega’s latest Sonic racing game, our fingertips touched while holding accelerate (R2) and drift (L2). Also, there’s little travel to the directional pad compared to the Logitech Powershell, which feels better in games requiring quick reactions. Make sure you download the firmware update tool from SteelSeries’ website. This eliminated serious with responsiveness problems found in some games.
The Stratus is the first iOS game controller worth buying, but larger controllers are also on the way. Alan Stonebridge