Genshin Impact update finally brings controller support to iOS

The newest update for Genshin Impact brought some pretty cool content. On top of the typical tweaks, the 1.3 All That Glitters update has new character drops, a new boss, some quests, and even quite a few staggered events.

It’s all very fun and exciting, but there’s one feature in this update we really need to talk about.

Controller support for iOS.

This is very exciting for superfans like myself who love playing as much Genshin as they possibly can but can’t stand touch controls. Now I can use a controller with my iPad Pro and get a seamless Genshin experience any time I want.

However, it’s been a long time coming and it’s a bit disappointing that it’s not as good as it could be.

Controller support for Genshin Impact on iOS works very similarly to how it does on PC in that the game really only supports one type of controller input at a time, chosen in the settings menu. This means the second you start rolling with the controller on your iOS device, you lose all touch screen functionality.

I’m bummed about this restriction because the best way I’ve found to play Genshin Impact is with a mix of touch and controller based controls. Some management aspects of the game really benefit from the mobile interface, whereas combat and exploring feel best on a gamepad. This really could have been the best of both worlds.

It’s still very good, and you can enter the settings menu to switch back and forth. The game runs so well on mobile devices and I love being able to use a controller. I’m just sad about what could have been. The perfect Genshin Impact experience, all on one device.

Maybe they’ll have a more elegant solution whenever the Android controller support finally rolls out.