A Big Hint That Apple Is Taking Video Games Seriously Now

Here's one bit of news Apple didn't have time to cover this week: it's new iPhone and iPad operating system iOS 7 will support third-party video game controllers.

That means developers can design their iPhone and iPad games to work with regular video game controllers instead of relying on touchscreen controls.

We first heard about the new iOS developer tools for game controllers on Touch Arcade and confirmed that documentation exists in Apple's library of online resources for registered developers.

But the story doesn't end there. iOS also powers Apple TV, which means there's a chance Apple could finally open up gaming to the living room. Think of it this way: imagine being able to play a game on your iPhone and pick up where you left off on your TV. That's not outside the realm of possibility if Apple opens up the Apple TV to developers and includes support for game controllers.

Here's a look at the kind of game controllers Apple lists in its developers guide: