Skip to main content

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

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
Former Digital Trends Contributor
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…
iOS 18 gives your iPhone a super-handy charging feature. Here’s how it works
The display on the iPhone 16 Pro.

Now that iOS 18 is rolling out, we're finding new features that are even more exciting than some of the larger-scale changes -- like a new setting that alerts you if you're using a slow charger on your iPhone.

If you're anything like me, you probably have a lot of old charging cables and bricks around the house. You might not realize that some of those are dated and aren't capable of supporting fast charging, especially if you tend to power your phone up in the evenings while you sleep.

Read more
The iPhone 16 is giving the iPhone 16 Pro a run for its money
The Camera Control on the iPhone 16.

Apple releases two sets of iPhones every year: the standard and the Pro models. The iPhone 16 series is no different, although its baseline models — the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus — appear to be performing better than expected and giving their Pro siblings some tough competition.

Ming-Chi Kuo, a respected Apple leaker with a steady track record, recently shared preorder statistics for the latest iPhones. The numbers are surprising, including lower demand for the Pro models. Historically, the iPhone Pro models have driven higher numbers. After all, who doesn't want the absolute top-of-the-line option?

Read more
Trading in your old phone for the iPhone 16? Make sure you do this first
iPhone 16 Pro color options.

The thought of $650 off a new iPhone 16, as promised during the Apple event, might be enticing -- but know there are conditions associated with trade-in. If your phone is damaged at all, the trade-in value quickly drops to a whopping $0. If you plan to trade in your current device for an upgrade, you might also want to consider taking it in for repairs before you swing by the Apple Store.

Macworld's Michael Simon had some first-hand experience with this. His iPhone 15 Pro Max, a phone likely to yield almost the maximum value, had a crack along its back. The glass wasn't falling off, and it was a relatively easy repair -- but Apple offered him $0 for the trade-in, even though he could have taken it in for repairs for just $29 thanks to AppleCare Plus.

Read more