ION Audio unveils three new iCade products at CES; iPhone and iPod Touch now supported in handheld options

The iCade is an attachable accessory for the Apple iPad that functions as a portable arcade cabinet, but now the device’s manufacturer unveiled three new products under the popular line that toggle the iPhone and iPod Touch.

ION Audio showcased the products at the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The manufacturer recreated the original arcade setup by ditching the cabinet exterior in favor of landscape support.

The first product is the iCade Mobile for iPhone 4/4S or iPod Touch. According to Engadget, it is a handheld with gaming buttons and a D-pad, which subsequently adds 1.5-inches onto each side of the iOS mobile device. The iCade Mobile also allows users to switch between portrait and landscape mode. ION said it expects about 100 games to be compatible with the product, and the retail price is currently set at $79.99 USD.

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Pictures for each new iCade product are displayed after the break.

“iCade Mobile gets your fingers out of the way and gives you a full view of the action with a specially designed cradle that ensures safe loading and unloading of your iPhone or iPod touch, while also providing a solid, secure fit even during the most intense game-play sessions,” announced ION in a press release.

The second product is the iPad-comptabile iCade Core. According to Technabob, the product features the iCade’s joystick and original eight buttons. The iPad sits into a more compact cradle now, rather than an entire arcade cabinet, and ION divulged that “Pac-Man for iPad” by Namco is compatible.

“iCade Core’s specially designed cradle ensures safe loading and unloading of a user’s iPad, while also providing a solid, secure fit for even the most intense gameplay sessions,” ION explained in a press release. “Beneath the cradle is a custom-designed pass-thru slot, which allows users to charge the iPad with their standard 30-pin cable.”

The last product is the iCade Jr., which is simply a miniature version of the iCade that fits the iPhone 4/4S or iPod Touch. The front features four buttons, however, instead of the original eight. Prices for the iCade Jr., and the iCade Core were not announced at CES, but all three devices are slated to launch in the coming months. With that said, a second-quarter release date is planned for the iCade Mobile.

“Now gamers can have a no-holds-barred gaming experience on their iPhone or iPod touch anywhere they go,” said ION Audio Brand Manager Fred Galpern in a press release.

ION further described all three iCade products as having Bluetooth capability for communicating with their respective Apple devices.