Apple to release Handheld Console to compete with the Switch?

[vetali]

Seems like anytime an Apple gaming system is rumored, Apple says, "we already have the top gaming devices" and the rumor disappears for a few years. Things could be different now with Apple trying to hop on that paid services bandwagon.

 

I am somewhat interested in the real world gaming performance of the M1X chips. If it makes the rumored strides in graphics performance, then they throw it in the next years iPad Pro... I can see this rumor becoming more believable.

[saltycaramel]

21 minutes ago, vetali said:

I am somewhat interested in the real world gaming performance of the M1X chips. If it makes the rumored strides in graphics performance, then they throw it in the next years iPad Pro... I can see this rumor becoming more believable.

 

The M1X is too big and hot for an iPad Pro.

 

Next year iPad Pros will see the first redesign since 2018, will both get miniLED (including the 11”) and will be (very likely) powered by the M2.

 

The M2 GPU will be like an M1 GPU on steroids. +25% GPU cores and some architectural gains.

[vetali]

5 minutes ago, saltycaramel said:

 

The M1X is too big and hot for an iPad Pro.

 

Next year iPad Pros will see the first redesign since 2018, will both get miniLED (including the 11”) and will be (very likely) powered by the M2.

 

The M2 GPU will be like an M1 GPU on steroids. +25% GPU cores and some architectural gains.

Interesting. I am happy they are going that route rather than the "one chip for everything" they were doing with M1. Though Macrumors now shows a possible M1 Pro and M1 Max. Almost feels like Apple is trying to bait leakers with fake info lately.

[Roswell]

On 10/14/2021 at 2:19 PM, InstantNewt said:

The source links to a single idropnews.com article that amounts to basically "trust me bro, they didn't release an A14 Apple TV which means they're totally going to release a handheld gaming machine." The author alludes to tweets from "reputable leakers" but doesn't link to them at all. Wild speculation at best, tabloid news at worst.

Meanwhile, the reason why they shipped with an A12 is because Apple was sitting on manufactured units for over a year before release.

 

Some of these leakers are really low effort.

[saltycaramel]

4 hours ago, vetali said:

Interesting. I am happy they are going that route rather than the "one chip for everything" they were doing with M1.

They use “one chip for a group of things”. (and one underlying core design for everything)

 

A15 - 2 performance cores

- iPhones

- cheaper iPads

- future AppleTVs 

- (gaming handheld if it ever existed)

 

M1 (to be superseded by the M2) - 4 performance cores

- iPad Pros

- Macbook Air

- cheaper iMacs

- cheaper MacMini

- cheaper Macbook Pro

 

M1 Pro and M1 Max - 8 performance cores

- 14” Macbook Pro

- 16” Macbook Pro

- pricier MacMini

 

Then there will be SoCs with 16 performance cores and 32 performance cores for higher end desktops. 

 

[Donut417]

Knowing Apple it will be most expensive than the Switch. Apple doesnt have a good games library like Nintendo. Apple is not known for gaming hardware. I think this will be a niche item at best. At worst it will be a total flop. 

 

Its even questionable if Steam will be able to dethrone Nintendo. So I highly doubt Apple has a chance. 

[DrMacintosh]

Why would they do this? Every single iOS device that runs iOS 15 is a console. They can all use a controller and the hardware is more than powerful enough for complex games. 

[saltycaramel]

Imagine if they did this to shut up people asking for them to renounce to their 30% cut on games/IAP sales and not demanding the same from game console stores.

[Kronoton]

9 hours ago, vetali said:

Though Macrumors now shows a possible M1 Pro and M1 Max. Almost feels like Apple is trying to bait leakers with fake info lately.

 

Not using the "x" addon for these would make perfect sense as that was (and might again be) the moniker for the beefed up iPadPro chips.

A proper name is also for more recognizable than 2 or 3 single letter endings (maybe more if the split CPU and GPU for the MPro)

[saltycaramel]

X and Z were obscure monikers not meant to influence buying decisions. You kinda would just end up with an A12Z, you didn’t choose to.

 

Now there’s a concrete possibility to upsell a potential buyer from M1 to M1 Pro, and from M1 Pro to M1 Max.

 

They have to sound fast now.