USB/Dock/Lightning used to replace a Controller with a Smartphone/Tablet ?

[Vectrexer]

I have seen a lot of adapters to convert a controller/joystick for use on one system to use on a completely different system. Such as the PSX to Vectrex adapter.

I have also seen USB adapters to allow the use of an original controller/joystick on a PC in order to have a better experience in an emulator.

 

But I have not yet noticed an adapter to allow a smartphone/table (Android, iPhone, etc) to act as a replacement controller. Effectively turing the smartphone/table into a controller you can connect to an old/new console.

 

Has anyone seen a adapter to connect a USB / Dock / Lightning port to an console port of a classic console? (Vectrex, Atari, Intellivision, SNES, Sega,etc)

 

Would be nice to use a tablet or a smartphone as a replacement controller. While not a joystick, there could still be some upsides. Such as an virtual controller app that would allow the following:

• Remapping of the controls.
• Repositioning of the controls.
• Emulation of analog controls in the smartphone/tablet with corresponding analog output to the console. Such as a the analog joystick in the Vectrex and other systems.
• Emulation of keypad controls in the smartphone/tablet with corresponding output to the console. Such as a the keypad in the Intellivision and other systems.
• Macros for use during game play.
• Skins and other graphics to replicate to the look and feel of the original controller in the app on smartphone/tablet.

 

In addition simply replacing the controller, I could see the adapter taking things further for those systems that have some two-way I/O capability possibility. Obviously some code would be needed on both the console and the smartphone/tablet app to allow for this interface to work. I can see many older systems supporting this idea. Even the Vectrex. The following features and more might be supported.

• Allow the smartphone/tablet to act as a rumble controller giving the player physical feedback.
• Emulation of other non-standard keypads, joysticks, and other controllers, etc. that are hard to obtain due to rarity or price.
• Allow the smartphone/tablet to provide audible feedback. Effectively turning the external device into another sound interface for the console. Beeps. full range sounds. Music. Voice synthesis, etc
• Allow the smartphone/tablet/other device act as a secondary display for the console to a limited degree. Obviously this would vary by system and communication speed on the console port.
• Other generalized I/O allowing other things to be accomplished not mentioned above .

 

What do you all think?

What have you already seen?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Edited June 28, 2014 by Vectrexer

[fiddlepaddle]

I don't like using a touchscreen for control. It would also add a layer of complexity I wouldn't want to fool with.