If you buy a new Apple TV this holiday season, or suspect you're about to unwrap an iPad Pro, there's just one other accessory you need: a gaming controller. Both devices are meant for playing games, and that cheap little glass remote isn't going to cut it when you really get going in Disney Infinity. Apple doesn't make an official controller, and you can use lots of Bluetooth-enabled accessories, but the SteelSeries Nimbus is the unofficial controller of choice. It's the one they'll tell you to buy at the Apple Store.

For $50, you get a black controller that looks just like an Xbox or Playstation controller. The Nimbus has two analog sticks, a diamond of colored buttons, shoulder and triggers on each side, and a giant all-purpose Menu button. It doesn't feel like a console-quality object; it feels like an add-on, not a critical piece of the experience. Still, it's a solid controller, and it's a whole lot better than mashing your fingers on the screen trying to thread your pass in FIFA. If you're going to game on your new Apple device, this is a must-have.

WIRED

If you've ever played on a console—any console—you'll figure the Nimbus out quickly. It works with iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, and even Mac, so one controller will work for everything. Setup is insanely easy, just turn it on and pair it via Bluetooth. Charges via Lightning, so you almost certainly already have its charger plugged in to an outlet somewhere. Joysticks and buttons are solid and comfortable, and incredibly responsive in almost every way. You'll finish Final Fantasy V long before the battery runs out. Companion app offers a running list of games that support the controller.

TIRED

The controls aren't consistent across games, and it can be hard to figure out what does what. Many iPad and iPhone games don't extend controller support through menus, so you're still going back and forth to the touchscreen. The companion app is handy, but not optimized for the new devices. Shoulder buttons and triggers are mushy. The four numbered lights on the front are totally inscrutable—sometimes they mean battery, sometimes they show you're connected, but you never know what you're seeing.

RATING

7/10 - Very good, but not quite great