If your performance is adequate under a standard wireless network then you might not want to bother with this last bit, though bare in mind this ad-hoc approach turns your Mac (and Windows PC, provided you do it properly) into a truly mobile gaming machine wherever you are. You should only ever have to do this once provided you use the same name under the Create Network... wizard. Launch Joypad Legacy on your iPhone and check you're connected under Joypad Connect on your Mac. Tap Wi-Fi in the top left corner and connect to the network as you would normally. Under the subnet mask (assuming your Mac created the subnet of 255.255.0.0, it probably did) enter 255.255.255.0. Instead of DHCP choose Static and in the IP Address field input the IP address that appears on your Mac (you can find this under System Preferences > Network > Wi-Fi.
On Mac OS X, this is how I did it:Ĭlick on the Wi-Fi indicator in the menubar at the top of the screen and click Create Network.Ĭreate the network and then on your iPhone scan for Wi-Fi ( Settings > Wireless).
Unfortunately I haven't tested this on Windows, but there's no reason it wouldn't work just as well. The results were incredibly good, with virtually no delay whatsoever, no dropped input and a rather easy setup. I then considered the possibility of an ad-hoc network, and using my Mac decided to give it a go. It's not an option to use Joypad Legacy over bluetooth, and so a Wi-Fi connection is mandatory. While considering the validity of using my laptop as a truly mobile emulator and games console, I realised a lack of network connectivity might be a problem. I noticed in windowed mode the desktop would occasionally get confused and start switching between spaces (Mac OS X) but who wants to play in a small window anyway? On a rather busy wireless network with an ageing, struggling router the slight delay was noticeable at times but there's a workaround for that. I tested performance in Snes9x mostly and with full-screen mode enabled it's probably the most fun I've had on an emulator in years.
The software is surprisingly light, and shouldn't take long to download or install on either device. While it's downloading (and installing) you should grab the Joypad Legacy iPhone app from the App Store.
Head on over to the Joypad Legacy website and download Joypad Connect for Mac or PC. The setup for this rather awesome freebie couldn't be simpler.
The software means you can turn any Windows or Mac OS X laptop into a portable emulator or games console wherever you are. A lack of physical feedback means this isn't suitable for "serious" gaming (whatever that means) but for emulators and brainless arcade games it does the job quite nicely. Using a Mac or Windows PC and a couple of iPhones, it's surprisingly easy to turn your handheld iOS device into a touchscreen gamepad. While looking for a solution I came across Joypad for iPhone, and the now slightly outdated Joypad Legacy app.
While searching for a way to play a few multiplayer games I hit a snag - a distinct lack of controllers. Recently I have been away from home, with only work, an iPhone and a MacBook Pro to entertain me.