Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Gaming
  3. News

The new Apple iPhones could be competition for current-gen gaming consoles

Add as a preferred source on Google
 

Want to play something on your iPhone now? Check out the best iPhone games.

Recommended Videos

During the 2018 Apple iPhone keynote, we were told how the new iPhone XS and XS Max are made for high-end gaming. The company revealed all that is possible thanks to the A12 processor that marketing chief Phil Schiller called “… the smartest and most powerful chip ever in a smartphone.”

‘The Elder Scrolls: Blades’ coming to iPhone XS and XS Max

Blades is an upcoming addition to the Elder Scrolls series created specifically for mobile, and in a demonstration shown by Bethesda’s Todd Howard at the 2018 iPhone keynote, we saw how beautiful it looks, sounds, and plays on the iPhone XS and XS Max.

As we watched the live gameplay, Howard explained that The Elder Scrolls: Blades is a first-person role-playing game where players engage in combat using either defense, melee, or magic. Players can also turn on a special feature called stereo winding that lets you hear the game audio as if it’s happening around you — all without headphones.

The visual and audio quality we see is comparable to that of current-gen gaming consoles and as the demonstration continues, the overall performance looks immaculate. We watched combat against a large spider while Howard remarked about improved feedback, describing how finger motion and in-game movements are completely in sync. Gameplay on the phone appears incredibly responsive, again thanks to the iPhone’s new processor.

The Elder Scrolls: Blades is available for pre-order now, and is expected to launch in fall 2018 for iOS and Android. Howard has also hinted at releases for PC, VR, and consoles.

Play arcade games with friends in AR

Another gaming-related product announcement made at the 2018 iPhone keynote was Super Kaiji’s AR arcade cabinet. Three demonstrators with new iPhones battle it out using augmented reality — interactive technology that takes the world around you and uses digital and graphical overlays to transform it into a virtual playground. The group plays a game of Galaga AR, shooting at enemies as they fly around in virtual space. The AR, combined with quality audio, makes it look, sound, and feel like the action is right there.

AR Arcade is due to come out later this year.

Felicia Miranda
Born in '89 and raised through the 90s, I experienced what I consider to be the golden age of video games. At an early age, I…
Ghost Recon could finally be making the comeback fans have been asking for
A three person squad stands on a bridge in Ghost Recon Frontline.

If you're a Ghost Recon fan, you've probably gotten used to one thing over the past few years: waiting for rumors to turn into announcements, waiting for leaks to be acknowledged, waiting for Ubisoft to say... well, anything at all about the future of one of its biggest tactical shooter franchises. Thankfully, that silence finally seems to be ending.

Ubisoft has confirmed that it will share Ghost Recon news on August 6, when the series celebrates its 25th anniversary. The announcement arrived shortly after fresh leaks began circulating online, prompting the company to post a brief message telling fans that more information is just around the corner.

Read more
The AI game-dev boom has a dark side: fewer jobs for the people starting out
Solo creators are thriving with tools like Claude Code and Copilot, but entry-level game roles are disappearing.
Man playing a video game on a desktop with glowing red and blue lights

AI is making it easier than ever for a single person to build a game. That sounds like a win for creativity, and in many ways, it absolutely is. But there is a catch. As generative AI tools help solo developers and small studios do more with fewer people, the same shift is making life tougher for writers, artists, concept creators, and junior programmers trying to break into the gaming industry.

AI is giving solo developers superpowers

Read more
ONEXPLAYER’s new handheld packs AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 388 and liquid cooling at an eye-watering price
The X2 Mini Pro is now available directly from the company with premium specs to match its premium cost.
ONEXPLAYER X2 Mini Pro Featured

Gaming handhelds have become more powerful every year, but they're also getting increasingly expensive. The new ONEXPLAYER X2 Mini Pro takes that trend to an entirely new level. Following its crowdfunding campaign, ONEXPLAYER has begun selling the X2 Mini Pro directly through its online store. The premium handheld starts at $2,499, while the fully loaded configuration with 64GB RAM, a 2TB SSD, and the optional Frost Bay liquid cooling system climbs to a staggering $3,229. Deliveries are expected to begin in August.

Desktop-class hardware in a handheld

Read more