Next Apple TV Described as "Apple's Largest Ever Attempt to Lure Console Players"

The next edition of Apple TV will come with a Wii Remote-like controller and mark the software giant's "largest-ever effort to lure players from traditional consoles," according to one unverified report.

Technology and Apple publication 9to5Mac claims to have received information from purported inside sources "with knowledge of the product," who say that the fourth-gen Apple TV will feature support for more traditional controllers, and allow a whole range of third-party devices to connect via Bluetooth.

Apple TV's rumored integrated motion controller, meanwhile, is expected to include both tactile physical buttons and a touchpad interface. A microphone is also rumored, which could be used for UI navigation in a manner similar to Microsoft's Kinect.

"For gaming purposes, the remote control will have the built-in motion sensors introduced in the iPhone, so that it can be used as a steering wheel for car racing titles and similar games," the publication claims.

"Importantly, however, the controller is said to connect to the Apple TV over Bluetooth, rather than using a sensor bar with IR support. As a result, the Apple TV's support for motion controls is unlikely to include a system navigation and pointing interface akin to Nintendo’s Wii."

At the time of going to press, none of these claims could be verified. Apple very rarely responds to articles based on rumor.

Apple has sent notices to the media and software partners to attend its next press conference, set for September 9 in San Francisco. In the invite, the corporation hints that one topic of conversation will be its Siri voice control software.

Several major software companies have attempted to compete with traditional games consoles with microconsoles such as Ouya, Amazon Fire TV, and even Sony's own PlayStation TV.

So far, none of these products have achieved success in terms of market share versus Xbox One, Wii U, and PlayStation 4.