Gamevice for iPad: There are plenty of mobile gamepads and the like for Xbox Cloud Gaming these days, with all kinds of products in all shapes and sizes for all kinds of devices. In any case, navigating the plethora of wildly diverging products can be a bit of a maze, especially given the wide range of different tablets and phones available.
We haven’t placed a high priority on Xbox Cloud Gaming for iOS devices, in part because Apple prohibits the native app due to anti-competitive policies.
However, the web app for Xbox Cloud Gaming has grown in popularity in recent years and is a viable alternative to a native app on iPads, iPhones, and other iStuff. With that in mind, we introduce the Gamevice for iPad, a massive dual-joystick setup that can transform even the largest iPads into cloud gaming beasts.
Gamevice foe iPad
The Gamevice for iPad is a split Xbox controller connected with a rubberized grip on both sides. The product is intended for full-sized iPads, with cutouts for the front-facing camera and home button. Because it is designed for a single type of device, it generally avoids some of the pitfalls that Android-based options aim for, given the wide range of Android devices on the market. If you have a full-sized regular iPad, you can almost certainly avoid any issues here.
Each gamepad easily clips onto each side of an iPad, fitting snugly around the top and bottom bezels. There are also floating grips that can be placed inside the clips to aid in positioning for some iPad models.
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Gamevice sweetens the deal by including a 3.5mm headset jack as well as pass-through lightning cable power, allowing you to charge while playing. It requires iOS 14 to use and supports any game with Xbox inputs right out of the box. Aside from Xbox Cloud Gaming, titles such as Diablo Immortal and Genshin Impact, for example, work flawlessly. The Gamevice also has a decent app that highlights some of the games and services that work best with its product, though it is not required to play any games.
Because the Xbox Game Pass app isn’t available on iOS for the reasons stated above, you must pin it using the Safari browser from xbox.com/play. Pinning the website essentially turns it into an app, which works great with Gamevice. Bypassing Bluetooth in favor of direct lightning or USB-C connection will always provide a better experience, reducing latency in cloud gaming. Fortunately, the Gamevice is no slouch when it comes to inputs.
While the button and trigger actuation aren’t the best I’ve ever had, they’re adequate and do the job. The joysticks are a little large, but they have good action and a tried-and-true concave design for an extra grippy feel.
Despite the fact that the product is extremely lightweight and balanced, each side of the gamepad has a large palm-shaped grip area that does feel good in the hand, across solid materials that aren’t creaky or cheap-feeling when squeezed and contorted. To that end, it also has what I consider to be a reasonable price of $99. However, there are a few drawbacks worth mentioning, though nothing here would necessarily be considered a deal-breaker.
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Features
First and foremost, I believe Gamevice erred by not offering a two-tier design for both full-sized regular iPads and the iPad Mini, as well as possibly the iPhone. If the point of cloud gaming is portability and versatility, the fact that this product only works with one type of large tablet feels like a missed opportunity.
I would have liked to see a grip that could accommodate my iPad Mini, for example, but that may be an issue only if you own an iPad Mini. The iPad screen is large and beautiful, and it is far more similar to playing on a real console than playing on a teeny tiny phone screen.
However, using an iPad with a Gamevice, such as a Nintendo Switch, feels bulky and awkward at first. This is the type of experience you might prefer to have while sitting on a sofa or in bed, where you can possibly position the product combo more comfortably. Because of its larger size, I believe people with smaller hands may struggle with the Gamevice.
Aside from that, the shoulder buttons are a little squishy, and they seem to disappear beneath the lip of the outer shell, which doesn’t feel great or well designed. As a result, the upper edge of the controllers doesn’t do a great job of exposing the shoulder buttons, and rolling your finger onto the shoulder button can feel a little awkward due to that unnecessary added lip. I’m also not a fan of how far the triggers travel. They are linear triggers, but they have a wobble to them that feels cheap and awkward.
It’s not difficult to activate any of the buttons or triggers; it’s all about how they feel, which is a significant step down from an official Xbox controller. The front-facing buttons and D-pad have the same “squishy” feel and can even disappear into the outer shell if pressed too hard. I can see the buttons being broken this way if you’re not careful.
All of this being said, none of the aforementioned issues frustrated or impacted my experience significantly. Unless you intend to get serious about cloud gaming in competitive multiplayer (which is unlikely given the latency), the Gamevice will suffice.
Regardless, the joysticks are solid, and after writing my review notes, I spent an hour playing various Xbox cloud games with little regard for the product. I forgot I was supposed to be reviewing and just started having fun, which is a good sign that the product didn’t get in the way of that.
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Competitors
The Gamevice doesn’t have much, if any, serious competition in the space for the full-sized iPad. There are several very cheap-looking gamepads with lightning connectors and clamps for iPad, but as far as I know, this is the only one licensed for use with Xbox, making it your best and only option.
The only other option is to use a standard Xbox controller with a USB-C to lightning cable connection for wired gameplay or Bluetooth for wireless gameplay. You’d also need a stand for the iPad unless you were going to play games with it laid out flat.
Because of the pass-through lightning charging port and clip-on nature, I would argue that the Gamevice is a far more convenient option than using a standard Xbox controller.
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Gamevice for iPad price and availability
The Gamevice for iPad is now available from Amazon and other retailers for $99. It includes the gamepad and a manual. It has no cables or charger because it does not have onboard power, but it does have a pass-through lightning port so you can charge your iPad while using it. As of this writing, availability and stock levels appear to be stable.
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