iMpulse controller for iPhone and iPad keeps your keys safe

Despite the enormous success of iOS as a gaming platform, there are some who crave the physical feedback that only comes from having a real joystick or D-pad beneath your fingers.

Current solutions such as the iCade Arcade Cabinet are certainly effective, but they're a little bulky to comfortably carry to the office on a day-to-day basis.

Enter iMpulse, a Bluetooth controller so small that it not only fits in your pocket, it also doubles as a keyring.

This pint-sized peripheral boasts four face buttons and a sliding thumbstick (reminiscent of the PSP nub or 3DS stick). There's also a micro-USB port for charging the unit.

It's definitely dinky, and a good deal less conspicuous than the recently released iCade Mobile controller. iMpulse is far cheaper, too, with an extremely modest price tag of $19.99.

As for iMpulse's build quality, we'll have to reserve judgement until it goes on sale at the end of this year.

In the meantime, if you've got some iCade-compatible games and you've been crying out for a wireless controller that also keeps your keys together, you can pre-order iMpulse from the company's website now.