Roger Fingas
Gaming on iPhone and iPad is reaching a threshold where it's on par with consoles, which have typically outpaced mobile devices, Apple's VP of product marketing claimed in a recent interview.
"They're bringing the current generation of console games to iOS," Greg Joswiak said in a TechCrunch interview. The executive was specifically referring to "Fortnite" and "PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds,", which not only have console-like gameplay but in the former's case allows cross-platform play with console and PC gamers.
Most phone and tablet games are still "casual" titles, limited not just by processing power but by storage space and their interfaces. Even when a game is available for both mobile and the living room, developers will often scale back the mobile version, and/or prevent cross-platform play because of the inherent advantage in having a gamepad or mouse/keyboard combo.
The rapid iteration of iPhone and iPad hardware has helped, Joswiak said.
"Every year we are able to amp up the tech that we bring to developers," he noted. "Before the industry knew it, we were blowing people away. The full gameplay of these titles has woken a lot of people up."
Consoles typically iterate every four years or longer, which means that devices like PCs and the iPhone can catch up to and surpass console hardware, which boosts the baseline for gameplay experiences.
Joswiak noted that iOS is a prime target for game developers over Android because of its consistent platform.
"We bring a very homogenous customer base to developers where 90 percent of [devices] are on the current versions of iOS," he said. This means that developers can exploit Apple technology to its utmost and expect gamers to keep up, whereas Android is more fragmented in terms of software and hardware.
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43 Comments
I’m a big gamer and huge lover of all things Apple BUT mobile gaming doesn’t hold a candle to console gaming right now. Even the experiences available on a portable, dedicated gaming device like the Switch provides deeper & larger gaming experiences. If we’re just talking graphics, phones/tablets are getting closer but still a generation behind. More PS3/360 comparable than anything close to a PS4/Xbox One. I own 2 Apple TVs (4K & 4th gen) and play zero games on either. Initially sprung for MFi controllers because I was excited about the prospects of gaming on the ATV. Games are just shallow and more like “time killers” than they are meaty experiences like Breath of the Wild, Horizon: Zero Dawn or Sea of Thieves.
Note to Apple... stop kidding yourselves.
iOS gaming is NOWHERE NEAR modern console gaming.
If you want to get real about gaming, then please do it. Make an official controller for the iPad and make it better than the Nintendo Switch.
Looking at the Fortnite pic in the headline... it looks stupid. The graphics are an ugly mess.
I have a PS4 and and Xbox One and both curb stomp iOS gaming to death.
I tried getting into gaming on my phone, but it's annoying. so then my iPad Pro. Again annoying.
for involved games, you do need a real controller. Not just a touch screen.
I am a huge Apple fan over pretty much any other company, but Joswiac sounds out of touch here and that concerns me.
You know what would be awesome? An Apple TV tier that is as powerful at gaming as an Xbox One X.
That would be amazing.
but no... Apple will continue to halfway dance with gaming and then pat themselves on the back with make-believe statements.
iOS gaming is nothing more than casual fodder. The real games that have been ported can look decent, but they are annoying to actually play.
I was impressed that Injustice for example looked about as good as a good Wii U game, but then I played it... No bueno.
dumbed down control schemes or putting a controller on the screen is just pure lame.
It's definitely nice to know that Apple has goals, but mobile devices will never catch up with PC gaming or consoles like the Xbox and Play Station. Even the Nintendo consoles don't hold a candle to the Xbox, Play Station and PC Gaming. The size constraints imposed by mobile devices pretty much make it impossible.
Wondering how much hardware will even matter in a few years. 5G speeds become the norm & you’ll be able to game on nearly any device via streaming. Xbox already setting future plans for this and recently admitted as much. Playstation has invested heavily in game streaming, buying both OnLive & Gaikai. Apple may just bide it’s time, skip sinking massive funds into creating new hardware and developing first-party exclusives and wait for the streaming revolution to come. With all the devices they have in the wild and the fact Apple users have a willingness to actually spend money on software/services/apps it may just make more sense.