According to Windows Central reporter Jez Corden, Apple is rumored to be working on making a game console. This isn’t the first report to suggest that Apple will make a move into the gaming console space, though previous reports have suggested that Apple will expand the Apple TV’s capabilities as a gaming machine instead.
On the occasion of the January 21 Xbox two podcast, journalist Jez Corden hinted at a mysterious console project that will be developed by Apple. During an Xbox Two podcast on January 21st, gaming journalist Jez Corden unearthed the mysterious design of Apple’s console. While this rumor never made sense to me, I recently wrote about how Apple could take gaming to the next level on its platforms as the company now sees itself as a rival to the PlayStation and Xbox. If the latest reports are correct, then Apple is looking to challenge the ring to compete with the likes of PS5, Xbox Series S/X, and Switch.
Without a doubt, Apple certainly has what it takes to fully enter the console market. While the PlayStation and Xbox have been battling each other for a long time, Apple may now be gearing up to join them. While Microsoft’s announcement of its acquisition of Activision Blizzard has been a bombshell for the video game industry, it looks like Apple is also happily making its way into the gaming world.
But long before the era of the iPod and iPhone, in the era of the PlayStation 1, Nintendo 64 and Sega Saturn, Apple was trying to develop its own game console. Apple had partnered with Japanese toy and video game company Bandai to create the Pippin slot machine.
While Apple Arcade has proven itself to be a premium service for gamers, it has zero chance of replacing consoles like the PlayStation and Xbox. If Apple is really going after the Xbox team, which I think is supporting games on its Apple Arcade service, and developing a future version of the Apple TV, it can be be the best gaming device out there. If Apple does end up making a console, we’re curious to see what kind of device it will be. However, we think it’s most likely a future Apple TV that combines cutting-edge gaming experiences.
But as Apple looks to build more powerful A-series chips for its Macs, part of the move away from Intel processors, there’s certainly potential to build game consoles with a piece of domestic silicon at the core. With some smart cooling and support from game developers, Apple could use its internal chip initiative to then create a console that can run more than just mobile games and act like a dedicated gaming machine rather than leaving games as a feature on the Apple TV or iPad. Combined with how much profit the company is already making from games in the Apple ecosystem, an official entry into the console market seems like a logical way to expand this part of Apple’s business. In addition, Apple has mobile chip technology with powerful processing and graphics that make a handheld game console an even better solution.
Tron says the proposed Apple console will have excellent graphics performance for a handheld device, as well as hardware-accelerated ray tracing. In fact, this mysterious console will be associated with the appearance of the Apple headset, which is expected to be released by the end of this year. Finally, the user claims that Apple is in talks with Ubisoft to develop games for the platform, the same developer behind huge video game franchises like Assassins Creed, Far Cry, and Watch Dogs.
On the one hand, it’s very hard to imagine that Apple would be working on a full-fledged game console that has been in development for so long that it managed to elude leaks. But of course, the company could create a gaming-focused device with dedicated controls and an even more powerful chip like the M1 Max.
It will be a console capable of running some AAA games at a certain level of graphic quality, as well as a selection of original Apple-exclusive games. And with the surrounding ecosystem of iPads and iPhones, Apple could have a range of devices capable of interacting with the console, such as streaming games from the console on an iPhone 12 or amini 6 as a secondary screen. Apple could even make a deal with Microsoft to make Xbox cloud gaming the console’s forte, potentially giving it an edge over the Switch.
Therefore, if Apple starts publishing game development works or buying studios, the odds will increase in favor of the Apple console. The final piece of the puzzle for the Apple console will be creating or acquiring game development studios. Search engine giant Google has also been trying to break into the console industry but has failed to impress gamers, so it will be interesting to see what different strategies Apple has in place to stand out. Apple has been working hard to make its software ecosystem suitable for gamers and game developers. Just like the console brand, Apple also offers subscription gaming services in the form of Apple Arcade.