NES controller plays iCade games on the iPad

If you love retro gaming on your iPad, you’ve probably wished for a physical controller to play games with instead using the touchscreen on the tablet. And if you have, what better way to do it than to use some authentic retro controllers like the one from the NES? Paul Rickards, a self-professed tinkerer, did just that; when he accidentally discovered that it was possible (he was playing around with a homebrew C64 keyboard and his iPad).

He then came up with an Arduino board to talk to the iPad via USB using a V-USB library, and set it up for an NES controller. All he had to do was plug the NES controller into the board, and then plug the board into the iPad. He could then play iCade games with the use of his NES controller. While it’s going to take a bit of setting up and knowledge to use, the results should be well worth it. Rickards plans to release instructions for any DIY enthusiasts who would like to attempt it in the future, so if you’re interested – stay tuned.

[Paul Rickards]