Controllers for nxnative
Every nxnative app can be played with touch controls, but a controller makes most games far more comfortable. Here is what the official documentation says about controllers, motion and rumble, and which kind to pick for iPhone, iPad and Mac.
Touch controls or a controller?
Each app has 2D and 3D touch layouts; tap 2D or 3D at the top to switch. Side-scrolling games such as Super Mario Bros. Wonder, Metroid Dread and Celeste start in 2D, the others in 3D, where you swipe on the right third of the screen to move the camera. A connected game controller hides the touch controls and keeps every button.
Three kinds of controller
| Kind | Examples | Motion controls | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phone-mounted (USB-C) | GameSir G8 Plus MFi, Backbone One, Razer Kishi | Uses the iPhone’s own gyro | Playing on the iPhone like a handheld |
| Bluetooth with gyro | DualSense, DualShock 4 | The controller’s gyro, on iPhone and Mac | Mac, iPad, or iPhone on a stand; motion aiming |
| No controller | Touch layouts | The iPhone’s gyro; shake the phone to shake | Slower games, menus, short sessions |
Our pick for iPhone: a USB-C phone-mounted controller
Every iPhone that nxnative supports (iPhone 15 Pro and newer) has a USB-C port, so a controller that the phone slots into turns it into a handheld. The GameSir G8 Plus MFi is a USB-C mobile controller that GameSir lists as Apple certified (MFi). Because a phone-mounted controller has no gyro of its own, the game’s motion controls follow the iPhone itself, exactly as a Switch does in handheld mode.
Check the controller’s listing for the phone sizes and cases it fits before buying.
Motion (gyro) controls
A controller that supplies gyro data through Apple’s controller support (the docs name DualSense and DualShock 4) drives the game’s motion controls on the Mac and the iPhone: aiming and tilt puzzles in games that read the controller’s motion, such as Breath of the Wild with its Motion Controls option on. A controller without one uses the iPhone’s gyro. Motion follows the controller in docked mode, the default.
Shake the iPhone to shake the controller in games that read it: Super Mario Odyssey’s cap-throw moves need it, and only in its default docked mode. A light bump does not count; a sharp flick does.
On the Mac, Switch Pro Controller gyro is not supported yet. If motion misbehaves in a game, the app can be packed without it (--no-motion).
Rumble
Game vibration uses the iPhone’s haptic engine or a compatible connected controller, and controllers with separate left and right haptics keep those effects separate. The settings screen has Game rumble, Rumble strength (0–300 %) and Rumble cutoff: a controller with rotating motors can rumble all the time in some games, and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe needs a cutoff of about 45 % to rumble only on crashes and drifts. See settings explained.
Controller questions
Do I need a controller for nxnative?
No. Each app has on-screen controls with 2D and 3D layouts; in 3D you swipe on the right third of the screen for the camera. A controller is more comfortable for longer sessions and action games.
Which controllers work with nxnative on iPhone?
Controllers that work through Apple’s controller support. The project’s docs name DualSense and DualShock 4 (with gyro) and Backbone One and Razer Kishi (phone-mounted, no gyro). A connected controller hides the touch controls and keeps every button.
Do motion controls work with a controller?
Yes. A controller that reports gyro data through Apple’s controller support, such as DualSense or DualShock 4, drives the game’s motion controls on iPhone and Mac. A controller without a gyro uses the iPhone’s own gyro, as a Switch in handheld mode.
Does rumble work?
Yes, on the iPhone’s haptic engine or a compatible controller, with Game rumble and Rumble strength on the settings screen. A controller with rotating motors may rumble constantly in some games; Mario Kart 8 Deluxe needs a Rumble cutoff of about 45 % to rumble only on crashes and drifts.
Can I use a Switch Pro Controller?
On the Mac its gyro is not supported yet; the project tracks it in an open pull request. Buttons are a separate matter of the controller’s support in macOS and iOS.
Next: which iPhone you need or the games list.