Apple placed a significant emphasis on gaming during its announcement of the iPhone 15 lineup, thanks to the all-new A17 Pro chip, the company has plans to transform the iPhone 15 Pro series into the world’s premier gaming platform.
The iPhone 15 Pro series is distinguished by the entirely new A17 Pro chip, Apple’s first chip manufactured using the 3-nanometer technology, this technology focuses extensively on improving the graphics processing unit (GPU) performance.
The new professional-grade GPU features a redesigned hexa-core design, enhancing both performance and power efficiency, as a result, the GPU’s performance is up to 20% faster compared to the previous generation.
Furthermore, hardware-accelerated ray tracing support allows the iPhone to run platform-level games, Apple announced exclusive versions of popular games like Resident Evil 4, Resident Evil Village, Assassin’s Creed Mirage, and Death Stranding for the iPhone 15 Pro series, demonstrating the company’s full commitment to gaming enthusiasts.
To delve deeper into the iPhone 15 Pro series’ gaming focus, IGN interviewed Jeremy Sandmel, Director of GPU Software, Tim Millet, Vice President of Platform Engineering, and Kayan Dans, Vice President of iPhone Product Marketing.
Millet emphasized that Apple’s aim is not to compete directly with specific gaming platforms like the PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series S.
Instead, they are focusing on building a platform and tools that will directly attract game developers, he stated, “We are focusing on developers and games rather than competing with platforms.
I think the platform is a convenient way for us to talk about classic games and the types of developers we are targeting, we’ve worked hard with developers to try to offer the same set of tools, and we’re working closely with them.”
Addressing concerns about potential overheating or performance degradation in the iPhone 15 Pro series, Dans explained that they work closely with various teams to determine the required performance.
They focus on how it translates to the actual gaming experience, frame rates, required graphics, and ensuring a sustainable and long battery life.
Developers are working alongside Apple to bring iPhone 15 Pro series platform games to iPad and Mac, thanks to the unified architecture between Apple Silicon, iPhone Silicon, iPad Silicon, and Mac.
All iPhone 15 models support DisplayPort via the USB-C port, allowing for 4K video output at 60Hz through an external display or TV with a DisplayPort-enabled USB-C to DisplayPort cable.
This video output is limited to 1080p resolution when using Lightning to HDMI or Lightning to VGA adapters on previous iPhone models equipped with a Lightning port.
Developers can tailor the gaming experience for an extended period using tools like MetalFX, depending on the experience they want to deliver.
In addition to the interview itself, Apple’s decision to conduct the interview through IGN signals its effort to reach out to a new gaming-focused audience beyond its regular marketing circles.
