This has led to a growing sense of homogeneity in business, especially in the relationship between Sony and Microsoft.
This is truer than ever this generation, as the PS5 and Xbox Series X are near-exact replicas in spec, with the only real differences being subscription price and software features. There is also a positive side to this. Gamers can be confident that their gaming experience will be the same on every console (aside from limited editions).
That said, it's not exactly a packed arena, and the field would definitely be better off with some new entrants. Who better to rise to this challenge than Apple, a company with decades of innovative technology across smartphones, computers, and streaming devices?
What can Apple do in the gaming world?
One positive aspect is that this is another opportunity to introduce more people to the Apple ecosystem. This is great for those who don't want to spend a fortune on the latest Mac or iPhone. Additionally, it has one of the fastest and most responsive user interfaces available out of the box on iOS. Apple may follow Xbox's lead and make certain Mac games cross-platform, allowing users to buy a game once and play it on either the Mac or Xbox.
The California-born tech giant is also no novice when it comes to creating video games. Mac gaming has undergone significant improvements in recent years, allowing even graphically-intensive and technically demanding games like Resident Evil: The Village to run flawlessly on Apple desktops, laptops, and home PCs. became.
From a gaming perspective, the aforementioned examples show that Apple has no problem convincing third-party publishers to transfer their games to custom systems. We don't expect Apple to have any trouble being on par with its competitors going into the first generation of systems. Exclusive deals aren't out of the question either, and the fact that Apple is likely already negotiating with developers and publishers makes the process look even more streamlined.
Powerful Apple hardware
Built with Apple hardware, Macs are powerful enough to run the latest PC and console games. According to Keppel, Apple built a platform with “tens of millions of his Apple Silicon Macs” in just three generations of his desktop-class chip architecture. That's a lot of Macs (tens of millions) with CPUs and GPUs powerful enough to handle graphics-intensive games.
It's especially noteworthy that Apple has improved the GPU on silicon. All of his MacBook Pro models include Apple's latest silicon, the M3 processor family, which enables hardware-accelerated ray tracing and mesh shading. It seems like these features weren't a priority not too long ago.
The iPhone 15 Pro is Apple's latest flagship phone, marketing itself as a capable AAA gaming companion. He wowed technology enthusiasts during his presentation with his VRR-enabled display at 120Hz, running titles such as 'Resident Evil 4' and 'Death Stranding' as well as New Zealand's newest online casino site. This display smooths out frame rate fluctuations for a stable experience. And we do it in-game without having to broadcast. If Apple's home game console can be made into a mobile phone, the possibilities seem endless.
There is no doubt about the capabilities of the hardware. Both his high-end Mac Studio and his current MacBook Pro allow him to run modern games at high resolution with frame rates of over 100 frames per second. In some situations, it can outperform a large Intel-powered Windows desktop computer with a decent Nvidia graphics card. Despite its entry-level M3 processor and slightly less RAM, the new iMac delivers great performance when running games like Lies of P, and thanks to Apple's MetalFX AI scaling, it's capable of running modern games. It achieves performance levels comparable to consoles.
Before game consoles, Apple needs Mac games and games
The appeal of the Mac for gaming will quickly become apparent as major new titles continue to be released on that platform at the same time as other platforms. However, the Mac lacks popular related titles. Apple has invested heavily in Apple Arcade. This subscription service provides access to games for Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV without ads or microtransactions. The roster includes famous characters such as Sonic the Hedgehog, who just debuted his 3D adventure exclusive and unique in the arcade series.
But the service doesn't have a single game that could pass for a $100 blockbuster. Most of these titles are exclusive to Windows PCs and consoles. A small number will be transferred to the Mac in subsequent iterations.
Unusually, many well-known game developers confirmed Mac and iPhone releases on the App Store, even though this was done after their games were released on other platforms.
The topic of how Apple benefits from its investments in gaming technology and tools is interesting. Given that the company is betting heavily that Mac gaming will soar from day one with the release of major titles.
The only problem with Mac games these days is the lack of support for them. Admittedly, this has been a problem in the past, but it has coexisted with the lack of specialized software and hardware. I believe more titles will release Mac versions in the future. However, it takes time.
If you look back at any given year in the gaming industry, you'll see that most titles didn't have a native Mac version. Although there are notable outliers, only a small percentage of games created for the PC make it officially to the Mac.
Apple is probably trying to get back on track by encouraging game developers to create titles for its platform. However, unless new titles are released for his Mac in addition to his PC, the massive push for games will be in vain. Every game from a major studio released on the Mac these days seems like a surprise. To become a true gaming destination, we need to see game releases on the Mac become more regular.
Real Possibilities: Apple Game Console
Apple has a history of working with other companies to port games to the Mac and iOS platforms. Combined with services such as Apple Arcade, the company is in a strong position to enter the console market from its two sides: gaming and subscription services.
Seeing the same three brands dominate the market is old and testing. The lack of true competition comes as a result of Nintendo's continued independence, Sony's likely dominance of hardware, and Microsoft's numerous acquisitions.
Because of this, Apple may be in the best position of any company to design, develop, and launch an entirely new gaming system. Firstly, it has a well-known name, has been around for a long time, has expertise in several gaming platforms (PC, mobile, etc.), and offers a regular subscription service.
If Apple were to make a console, it would have to be competitive, with the opportunity to offer a more affordable and accessible device. Apple TV 4K is already setting the precedent for being a value-for-money multimedia gadget.
Apple probably won't have an immediate negative impact on Sony's bottom line. However, Apple's contribution could be invaluable, especially if it is substantive and innovative.
That might take the form of a custom controller that draws inspiration from Apple's rich history of sophisticated haptic hardware (I miss the iPod's charming touch-based wheel, for example), or it might cover it. This may take the form of a universal subscription model. It offers multimedia features and bundles Apple games, music, and movies for a single monthly fee. If it works with your current collection of Mac games, that's great. Regardless of the situation, I think Apple has a huge opportunity to shine in the console market.
