As the first bluetooth controller for iOS, the original SteelSeries Stratus (which launched this past January) immediately became one of the most popular Made For iPhone/iPad (MFi) controllers around. A serious controller in a market full of lightweight, plasticy competitors, it easily stood out from the rest. There was just one problem with the Stratus- it’s tiny. It offers a case that snaps onto the back to give it a little more grip and is handy to lug around in your bag, certainly, but it was so small that it could disappear into your hands.
This new SteelSeries Stratus XL corrects that mistake, offering a full-sized controller that’s on par with anything the current leading consoles have put out. It’s a heavy-duty device that looks like some mad desginer took an Xbox One controller and melded it with the analog sticks of a Dualshock 4, placing them low and together. There’s a responsive d-pad, four face buttons, two shoulder buttons, and two triggers- something the original Stratus lacked. There’s also a pause button right in the middle of the controller for when the fight gets too much for you.
The buttons are all pressure sensitive (although in practice not too many titles take advantage of this), and the concave analog sticks have really nice grips on them that ensure your thumbs will never slip off. On the top of the controller are two small buttons that allow it to sync it to bluetooth and check the battery life, which is said to last 40 hours on two AA batteries.
Yes, it runs on batteries, which may make some people groan, but the controller really does last forever. They claim that the batteries will last 40 hours but with an entire week of heavy gaming with it’s still ticking. The original SteelStratus lasts a mere 10 hours, although of course that uses rechargable lithium-ion batteries.
The Stratus XL doesn’t offer a clip to place your phone that other devices like the MOGA Rebel do, which could be a dealbreaker for some. If you don’t have a iPad or a case with a stand for your iPhone you might find that it’s hard to get the right angle to see your device while playing it, trying to lean it on various objects in order to get into a comfortable gaming position. My dinky little ten dollar case with a built-in stand worked wonders, however.
From a technical standpoint, this is an amazing controller. It’s comfy and so responsive you will lament only being able to use it for iOS devices, because this would be incredible to use with your PC.
So there are a ton of games that utilize the controller well, but it doesn’t come cheap. At $69.99 the Stratus XL is even more expensive than the next-gen controllers of Sony and Microsoft, and without vibration or touchscreen features, either. Still, it’s $30 cheaper than the launch price of the original Stratus, and unlike many other MFi controllers this is a heavy duty device that feels like it can be knocked around. Not that you’d want to with such an expensive piece of equipment, of course.
Really the only thing holding this controller back is Apple itself. It’s almost impossible to find games that support MFi controllers in the App Store, and while SteelSeries has a list of compatible games on their own site it doesn’t offer any idea of how well each game works.
Hopefully Apple can help out gamers by at the very least letting us know which games are compatible with MFi controllers in their Store listings, and a section of the Store devoted to games that are supported would be incredible. They could also encourage more developers to utilize it, although no matter how you cut it MFi devices seem to be destined to be niche products, especially at their current prices.
But for those of us addicted to iOS gaming these are game-changers, and the Stratus XL feels like it's performing some dark magic in the way it makes familiar games feel new and responsive. Of all the MFi controllers on the market this may be the finest- just make sure you have some way to prop up your phone before you dive in, and be warned that there's no way to go back once you have.
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The Stratus XL was reviewed from a unit provided by SteelSeries. It’s currently available for purchase at Apple stores, Sprint stores, and SteelSeries.com for $69.99. We will soon be publishing a list of compatible titles and thoughts on each!
