It looks like Apple is set to blur the line between mobile gaming platforms and traditional consoles with its newest leap in innovation.
With the iPhone 15 Pro, Apple’s latest flagship device, gamers and tech enthusiasts alike will experience games in a new dimension.
If announcements from Apple’s recent event are anything to go by, the horizon for mobile gaming looks both expansive and enticing.
At the heart of this technological revolution is the A17 Pro chip, which, according to Apple, is the “fastest chip ever on any smartphone.” Sribalan Santhanam, the silicon engineering group VP, boasted about the A17’s ability to run ray-traced reflections four times faster than software-based rendering on current chips. This introduction of real-time ray-traced graphics propels the iPhone into an unprecedented realm of gaming. Apple isn’t just inviting casual gamers to the party; they’re aiming to bring core console and PC players into the mobile fold.
Apple’s latest announcement heralds the arrival of AAA titles like Resident Evil 4 Remake, Resident Evil Village, Death Stranding, and Assassin’s Creed Mirage to the iPhone 15 Pro.
Make no mistake, these are no longer watered-down versions or cloud-streamed adaptations. Rather, these are native versions of these popular titles.
Historically, delivering console-quality games on a mobile device required cloud gaming. But the iPhone 15 Pro’s A17 Pro chip, with its astounding 19 billion transistors, six-core CPU, and a six-core GPU, is set to change that narrative. For the first time, the aforementioned AAA titles, which are primarily designed to run on consoles and desktops, will run natively on iOS, marking a notable milestone in mobile gaming.
On a side note, Capcom doesn’t intend to slow down with its porting of Resident Evil 4 anytime soon. The OG Resident Evil 4 came out on the GameCube in 2005 but has since been ported over to over a dozen different platforms.
As a matter of fact, Resident Evil 4 is available on more platforms than the much-meme’d The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.
It wouldn’t surprise us if its critically-acclaimed remake enjoys a similar privelege.
Beyond the technical specifications, Apple’s incoming foray into console-level mobile gaming has raised questions and concerns about the viability and functionality of such an endeavor. The practical considerations loom large. Many worry about the potentially steep storage requirements of these AAA titles. If the games occupy significant storage space, it might lead to potential issues, especially for users who rely on their phones for a myriad of other tasks. Then there’s the question of cost. Would Apple charge the same premium prices for these titles as their console counterparts? And not to be forgotten, there’s the matter of heat. How will these powerful games affect the temperature of the device, especially during prolonged use?
Despite the legitimacy of these challenges, the excitement is obvious. Many gamers, especially in regions where mobile gaming is king, stand on the cusp of experiencing “real” AAA titles right from the comforts of their couches. Finally, the said users will enjoy more games that aren’t designed primarily to monetize but to provide a rich, immersive gaming experience.
In an ideal world, this will usher in a new age of mobile gaming where the gameplay and quality takes precedence over profit.
Apple’s ambition has been met with both awe and skepticism. Gamers have experienced Apple’s prowess in the realm of mobile gaming, with titles ranging from Genshin Impact to Fortnite. The iPhone 15 Pro seems poised to improve on this experience. And with peripherals like Razer’s Kishi controller enhancing gameplay on mobile, the boundary between console and mobile gaming is blurring rapidly.
The gaming industry has always been about pushing boundaries. Apple’s recent endeavors underscore this very spirit. A price tag starting at $999 for the iPhone 15 Pro may raise eyebrows, but its gaming potential offsets the cost.
If successful, Apple will have not only flexed their critically-acclaimed engineering department, it will have announced to the world that they’re no longer content with occupying space in the mobile gaming realm; they aim to dominate it.
Only time will tell if Apple can deliver on its promises, but one thing is certain: the future of mobile gaming just got a lot more interesting.
