Using Bluetooth gamepad controller with Google VR SDK on iOS

Hello, I'm unable to make my bluetooth controller work with my iOS VR application.
With the same app, it works fine on an Android device.
Searching the web it seems that some bluetooth controller may not working any more under iOS 9 or 10.
Could someone help ?

I'm using the following:
- an iPhone 5S under iOS 10.3.2
- a mini bluetooth gamepad from Homido (http://homido.com/shop/gamepad-bluetooth)
- Google VR SDK 1.60.0
- Unity 2017.1.0b8

And it seems I'm not the only one having this problem:
http://answers.unity3d.com/question...unity.html?childToView=1385733#answer-1385733

Thanks for any help !

 

I've found a few articles about this.
Unfortunately it seems there is no solution to my problem as it's an Apple limitation and my bluetooth device is not MFI aka "Made for iPhone/iPad" (or should be called PFA pay for apple)...

IOS VR GAME CONTROLLERS. DO THEY EXIST?
https://www.vr-iphone.com/2016/04/iphone-vr-game-controller/

HOW TO HOOK UP A GAME CONTROLLER TO YOUR IPAD OR IPHONE
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/how-to-hook-up-a-game-controller-to-your-ipad/

So I'm going to try Steelseries Stratus or Nimbus gamepads and will post in that thread if it works (the Nimbus is on sale on the Apple store so it should be working).

 

Hello,
did you get it working?
and nooo it's not Apple fault... !
my bluetooth keyboards working well in non Unity3d App's on iOS!
M.

 

Hello, I've bought an ipad/iphone device from Apple Stire and it works.
My other device is not recognized.

 

would love to have more info....
what kind of device did you bought @ Apple Store?
Apple, Logitech keyboard etc?
thx
M.

 

Hi, I've bought the Steelseries Nimbus gamepad.

https://www.apple.com/fr/shop/product/HJ162ZM/A/manette-sans-fil-steelseries-nimbus

 

Hi,

for anyone interested, I've been looking into this, and I found that :

1) it seems only MFI (Made For iPhone) controllers are recognised as Game Controllers on iOS, which makes sense.
2) other controllers are seen as keyboards, not GamePads.

It still is possible to hack around, but it takes a hidden UI.InputField to receive keyboard inputs, then you have to parse the inputs. This of course breaks the whole UI Navigation possibilities, unless you want to write a lot of code.
It still works ok for most control types.
IControls claims to handle ICade inputs. I haven't tested it though.

I'm about to test Mad Catz Micro C.T.R.L.i, I'll share my results.

This is what works with 8BitDo and other ICade like controllers like the Virtoba remote:
Input : down_key / up_key
A : u / f
B : h / r
Y : y / t
X : j / n
Start : o / g
Select : l / v
RT : i / m
LT : k / p
Thumbstick Left : a / q
Thumbstick Right : d / c
Thumbstick Up : w / e
Thumbstick Down : x / z

Fred
@UnityCoach

 

For what it's worth, the Mad Catz Micro C.T.R.L.i works like a charm with my iPhone 5 and Unity.