Apple Officially Nixes iTunes, Gets PS4 and Xbox One Controller Support, More

By Christine Fernando  |  June 3, 2019 | 5:16pm
Image courtesy of Apple
Music News Apple
Apple Officially Nixes iTunes, Gets PS4 and Xbox One Controller Support, More

After 18 years of overpriced songs and iconic dancing silhouette iPod ads, iTunes is dead. That’s right: Apple has killed off one of its original creations and is replacing it with three new media apps, developers officially revealed during its 2019 Worldwide Developers Conference on Monday.

In place of its dated online storefront, Apple is rolling out desktop apps Apple Music, Apple TV and Apple Podcasts.

“The future of iTunes is not one app, but three,” Craig Federighi, vice president of software engineering at Apple, told the crowd at the conference.

Apple has already spring-cleaned the iTunes Instagram and Facebook pages, both of which still exist but all their posts have been deleted.

On Twitter, users have been mourning their old friend, while others are dancing on its grave:

Back in the early 2000s, iTunes changed the game in the music industry by signing on all of the major record labels and offering their digital versions of their music. In a world where illegal downloading reigned supreme, iTunes was a legal alternative that allowed labels to keep raking in the cash.

But the music industry has shifted again, taking a turn for streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music while leaving iTunes in the dust. Nixing iTunes seems to continue along the trajectory of the shift to streaming.

Developers also revealed today that Apple TV is getting PlayStation 4 and Xbox One controller support as part of the new tvOS update.

That means Sony PlayStation 4’s DualShock 4 controller and Microsoft’s Xbox One controllers will all be compatible with Apple TV, and will likely extend to Apple Arcade, Apple’s new mobile and Mac gaming subscription service.

The service, which will bring 100 new and exclusive games to players for a monthly fee, was announced in March and will release in 150 countries this fall. It will also offer access to nearly 300,000 games from the App Store.

“Apple Arcade games will redefine games and be curated based on originality, quality, creativity, fun and their appeal to players of all ages,” a March press release explains. “Apple Arcade will give customers the freedom to try any game from its handpicked collection of titles that are all-you-can-play, have no ads, ad tracking or additional purchases, and respect user privacy.”

Now, players will be able to use PS4 and Xbox One controllers with Apple Arcade, giving them more control to tailor their gaming experiences to their regular gameplay while eliminating the need to buy new controllers.

This gives Apple Arcade an edge over the forthcoming Google Stadia, which requires its own separate controller. However, Stadia is still expected to have a wider scope, while Apple Arcade will likely focus on mobile titles.

No word yet on if all of the controllers’ features, including rumble or headphone out, will be supported on Apple TV. Apple also has yet to reveal if the controllers will be able to connect wirelessly or if they’ll require old-school USB plug-in.

Apple TV currently supports the SteelSeries Nimbus, Hori Horipad Ultimate controllers and other iOS controllers that connect to Bluetooth.

The tvOS update will also include a new interface and bring profiles for different family members, much like Netflix. Called multi-user support, Apple TV will allow for different, easily switchable profiles so that each user can tailor their viewing and listening to their own tastes.

 
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