Apple has quietly expanded its accessory catalog with over 20 third-party products just in time for the holiday season. Among the standout additions: a novel motion-activated game controller called the GAMR Active Game Controller (Play Pad), video rigging tools, lighting kits, power banks, and more—each designed to enhance the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, and Vision Pro experience.
Gaming Reinvented: The GAMR Active Game Controller
The showpiece of the new lineup is the GAMR Active Game Controller, which Apple is calling a “pressure-sensitive game controller play pad.” It features nine touch zones that map to both directional inputs and the standard A, B, X, Y buttons, letting players step, press, or shift weight to interact with games. It connects via Bluetooth to iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac, and Vision Pro, and works with compatible titles on Apple Arcade and the App Store. A companion app also provides original games for use with the pad. When it comes to portability, the pad rolls up for storage and offers approximately 8-10 hours of battery life.
Filmmaking & Lighting Additions
For creators, Apple added the ShiftCam ProRig Filmmaker Kit. Priced at $169.95, the rig frames your iPhone with adjustable handles for both portrait and landscape shooting, includes a Bluetooth shutter, multiple mounting points, support for lenses and filters, and interchangeable bumpers for the latest Pro iPhones. Also joining the roster: the smaller, MagSafe-compatible SnapPocket Light 2 LED Ring Light. It flips 180° for subject or selfie lighting, offers five brightness levels, five color temperature settings, and recharges via USB-C. The ring light is also part of the larger SnapTravel Kit Pro 2, which bundles a 5,000 mAh battery grip, selfie-stick-that-becomes-tripod, and travel pouch.
Power, Protection & Everyday Gear
Apple also added two Belkin power banks: the UltraCharge Pro 20K, which delivers up to 70 W through an integrated USB-C cable plus extra ports, and the BoostCharge Slim Magnetic Power Bank 5K with wireless Qi2 charging, wired USB-C, and a built-in stand. For mobile organization, the new MOFT Snap Field MagSafe Wallet Stand can hold up to eight cards and doubles as a phone stand. Protective gear and travel bags are expanded, too, with new offerings from Tech21, mophie, Rains, Herschel, and others—cases, sleeves, organizers—for devices across Apple’s product line.
The Big Picture
This release of over two dozen accessories signals Apple’s growing emphasis on curated third-party hardware to enrich its ecosystem. By adding inventive tools like the GAMR pad and lighting kits, the company is clearly targeting creators and gamers, not just mainstream users. These accessories align with Apple’s strategy of giving more reasons—functional, not just aesthetic—for customers to invest in its platforms.
Analytically, these additions matter because they fill gaps in Apple’s own product lines, while giving third-party makers a platform. The GAMR pad, especially, could reshape how games are played across devices. Key to watch: how well these accessories are supported by software (updates, compatibility), and whether this sets a new standard for Apple’s accessory launches going forward.
