Everyone probably knows by now the potential of the iPhone/iPod Touch to become a very formidable gaming device, but one thing that’s holding it back from reaching new heights is the lack of dedicated gaming controls. Well, this where the iControlPad will come in handy. It seeks to address that specific problem by coming up with a case that’s equipped with a d-pad and four standard buttons mimicking a typical game console configuration. While there already a handful of emulator apps supporting this new gizmo in the jailbroken world, it is yet to be recognized and adapted by apps available in the App Store.

Despite its primitive appearance, it does look like a promising innovation which can be used to tap a whole new segment of the market the iPhone/iPod Touch has yet to reach. Unfortunately, while I do wish that legal apps will support this in the future, something tells me that the big honchos in Apple don’t share the same sentiment.

[product via appletell]