Apple spent some time focusing on gaming during its iPhone 15 launch event on Tuesday, and while we spoke with the usual mobile developers about the enhanced hardware and software capabilities, we also found out that some very recent high-profile console games are coming to the iPhone, including a remake. From Resident Evil 4, Resident Evil Village, and Death Stranding. Differentiating the iPhone from dedicated portable gaming devices like the recently introduced Steam Deck has been largely academic — and with the 15 Pro, it’s even more eroded still.
Apple also announced that Assassin’s Creed Mirage, Ubisoft’s upcoming game from its popular franchise, will also launch on the iPhone 15 Pro, and that the device will support hardware-accelerated ray tracing dynamic lighting effects. And this is not just a continuation of the device’s already existing and impressive gaming story. The original iPhone, when it expanded access to software for third-party developers, changed gaming so much that today’s real big-money industry giants are all mobile developers. Despite this, it has never really touched the market occupied by console and PC makers, a gaming chipset that even the Mac has never really been able to find, despite multiple attempts over the years.
The iPhone has a chance to earn Apple a spot as a must-target destination for big budget, major studio game releases. The A17 Pro that powers the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max is at least on par with the types of processors that power devices like the Steam Deck, Asus ROG Ally, Lenovo Legion Go, and many other form-factor laptops hitting the market and in development. It is coupled with devices such as One USB-C controllerwhich already announced support for the iPhone 15 upon its launch, the iPhone 15 Pro is poised to make standalone gaming devices redundant.
There are caveats and ways in which, even with excess technical capacity, a massive installed user base, and some leading gaming industry partners, the iPhone’s future as a AAA gaming console could fail. iOS as a development target is still a stretch versus Windows (or SteamOS, which doesn’t actually need to be a distinct target), but Apple is making big strides there with compatibility tools, especially after the WWDC developer event earlier this year.
The bigger issue is whether Apple can successfully establish and maintain strong relationships with game developers the way console makers like Sony and Microsoft do. Apple’s approach to developer relations has always been very different from that of gaming console hardware companies, with much less emphasis on building relationships and incentivizing studios for things like exclusivity and timed exclusives. However, Apple has done some of that, and made more progress there with the launch of Apple Arcade a few years ago. And you’ll always have the carrot of reaching a large potential audience – although the focus on Pro this year limits that somewhat versus having the standard, non-Pro iPhone in the mix as well.
The A17 Pro will be popular next year, however, and the progress made by Apple’s processors means it’s very likely that the entry-level iPhone will pick up gaming chops at a much faster rate than successive console generations – and from niche hardware like Steam Deck which is unlikely to receive year-over-year improvements due to the cost-benefit calculations required to achieve this.
I haven’t even touched on how video is output and the broad native controller support from multiple manufacturers means the iPhone 15 Pro could theoretically replace not only a portable AAA controller, but also your living room. The reasons why this happened are becoming more attractive and more numerous, and the 15 Pro seems to be the generation that breaks down those floodgates and makes “Coming to PS5, Xbox Series industry.