Belkin Transforms iPhone into Real Gaming Handheld

It’s arguable whether the Apple iPhone 3G can truly compete in the mobile gaming market against juggernauts like the Nintendo DS Lite and Sony PSP. Yes, it’s got some pretty cool games on there, but without any sort of “real” controller — aside from virtual buttons and a tilting frenzy — the iPhone 3G just feels a little lacking, right?

Chalk this one up in the rumour column for now, but the word on the street is that Belkin is working on an external control pad for the iPhone that gives it a little more of a conventional feel. Well, I shouldn’t really say external, because the proposed Belkin creation is more like a sleeve that wraps all the way around your iPhone. You still have access to the touchscreen, but you also get a proper d-pad and a set of face buttons. I don’t know about you, but the relative size and bulk makes me think of the Sega Game Gear for some reason.

Oh, and if you’re wondering why this concept sounds so familiar, that’s because there was an unofficial gamepad making its way around the jailbroken iPhone market known as the iControlPad. Belkin’s rumoured creation is an extension of that concept.

Source: Touch Arcade

Short URL: http://virtualreality.ca/u7e