GameBaby merges iPhone case and game controller into one

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GameBaby from Bitmo Lab is both an iPhone case and a game controller. The innovative design allows users to play retro games on their phone with real buttons.

The goal seems to be a GameBoy for 2024.

GameBaby takes advantage of new retro game emulators for iPhone

For many years, Apple prohibited developers from bringing retro game emulators to the iPhone App Store. But in spring, the company updated the App Store guidelines to allow this type of software. That soon resulted in a rush of such apps, including Riley Testut’s Delta.

Another result of the change is GameBaby, an iPhone case designed to work in concert with Delta. The intent is to eliminate the dissatisfying feeling of gaming with virtual-on-screen buttons that offer no feedback.

“The physical, silicone conductive buttons of the case are aligned with the ones in emulators like the Delta so you can play instantly,” a spokesperson for Bitmo Lab explained to Cult of Mac.

Ordinarily, GameBaby is a standard iPhone case with the buttons in back. But when it’s time to play a retro game, remove the top half of the accessory, then flip the bottom half around so the backs of the buttons touch the screen.

One advantage of the design is that the game controller stays with the iPhone, ready to play,. Also, it simply looks cool.

Grab it today

With pre-sales just beginning on September 2, the iPhone accessory now goes for a super early bird price of $19.99 for the first 1,000 units. Then the price goes up to $24.99. After the launch in October, the GameBaby will retail for $39.99.

Buy it from: Bitmo Lab

The only versions going on the market fit iPhone 15 Pro Max and the upcoming iPhone 16 Pro Max, the most popular variants.

Ed Hardy

Ed Hardy has been writing full-time about tech for 26 years, and using it for much longer than that. His intro to Apple was a Macintosh SE/30 (which he still has), but now he uses a 13-inch iPad Pro as his primary computer.

That’s because he’s a “tablet first” type of guy. Rather than use a Macbook, he connects a keyboard case to the iPad. And instead of a desktop Mac, he connects his tablet to a 27-inch display and full-size keyboard. (So don’t try to tell him that everyone has to use a Mac to be productive.)

Before coming to Cult of Mac, Ed wrote for NotebookReview, TabletPCReview and Brighthand, as well as other sites.