iPadOS 13.4 lets iPads use trackpads — will apps and games catch up?

Apple spent most of the iPad’s first decade fighting to keep its tablets trackpad-free, a decision that left the otherwise superb platform with one huge disadvantage compared with Microsoft’s Surface tablets. Thanks largely to the iPhone, Apple’s all-or-nothing focus on touchscreens blinded it to the continued value of separating the control surface from the display for some applications, notably including productivity apps and games. That’s finally about to change.

On March 24 — nearly 10 years to the day the first iPad hit stores — Apple will release iPadOS 13.4, which up until now appeared to be an almost trivial “point release” ahead of June’s expected iPadOS 14 launch. Today, Apple confirmed that iPadOS 13.4 will dramatically expand an Accessibility feature introduced last year to provide preliminary support for some pointing accessories, enabling all supported iPads to use trackpads and mice over Bluetooth or wired connections. The question will then become how third-party developers support these accessories.