The apple tv is probally my favorite device that apple makes. While the apple tv app is in dire need of some basic improvements, the hardware box itself is a standout – competely compared to competitors like amazon’s fire TV and roadu”s streaming devices. This is larger thanks to the steellar siri remote, which makes navigating the device with your fingers or voice a cinch, and the powerful apple silicon chip inside that makes the apple TV ‘, TV’s Operating System, Run Buttyry Smooth.
However, when it comes to being a device meant to sit at the center of your living room as an all-encompassing entertainment hub, the apple tv is launching in one big department: gaming. The apple tv is technically a gaming console, Since it can play rudimentary games and supports third-party console controllers. But no one is likely to replace their playstation or xbox with one on any time song, beCause the current apple TV lacques the processing power to run console-certity games.
Yet Perhaps That Cold Be Changing. Recently, I’ve noticed that apple has been making moves that sugges that company may be on the cusp of turning the apple tv into a full-blown playstation and xbox competitor. Doing so would open up another potential billion-dollar revival stream for the company.
The new apple games app is currently mia from tvos 26
At Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) This year, the company unveiled a new cross-deevice app called Apple Games. The app acts as a central hub and launcher for all the games you’ve ever bough on apple’s app store or have access to via the company’s apple arcade subscription service.
The Apple Games App also gives you Quick Access to Game Events and Challenges, and Helps you discover new games to play and see what games your friends are playing. In other words, the new apple games app is similar to the playstation 5 game hub and the xbox dashboard -the interfaces on the consoles that significantly differentials the living to the laying of Gaming EXPERIENCE FOROM PCS.
Apple announced that apple games is coming to the iPhone, iPad, and mac with iOS 26, iPados 26, and Macos 26 this Fall. But the new app is Conspical Absent from the Apple TV’s Next Operating System, TVOS 26, which also ships this fall. This is a notable omusion, especially consider that apple markets its apple arcade gaming service as a core feature of the apple tv experience. It also offers Thousands of Mobile-Level Games Through the TVOS App Store.
The more I think about the apple games omission from TVos 26, the more it makes sense – IF apple is set to turn the apple tv an truth gaming console but not want anyone to knowing.
The next apple tv is rumored to have two two key hardware improvements essential to top-Line Gaming Consoles
Apple does not update the apple tv as often as it does iphones or even its ipads. Typically, Years Pass Between Apple TV Updates. The most recent apple tv, the apple tv 4K, was last updated in November 2022, Nearly Three Years ago. That means it’s ripe for an update this year.
Rumors sugges that a new apple tv is indeed coming later and that it will feature two significant hardware upgrades – ons that would enable it to besle it to bee.
The first is an updated chipset. The current apple tv 4k features the Apple A15 Bionic Chip, The Same One Found in the iPhone 13 from 2021. Found in the current iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 pro series, or perhaps even the unreleased A19 chip, which will go into this year’s iPhone 17 Series. IT’s also possible apple could put the m1 or m2 chip, previously found in macs and iPads, Into the new apple tv.
This jump from the A15 to the A18, A19, M1, Or M2We the apple tv the performance boost it needs to run aaa console games, such as the Resident Evil Series from Capcom, which are currently capable of running (with controller support, no less) on the iPhone 15 Pro, Thanks to Its A17 Pro Chip.
Another upgrade the next apple tv is expected to get is a new apple-designed wi-fi and bleetooth chipset that will support the wi-fi 7 standard (via MacrumorsThis Standard Offers Lower Laigncy and Faster Wi-Fi Speeds Than the Current Wi-Fi 6 Standard-Somenting Critical for Gaming Consoles and the Bandwidth-Hungry Games that Stream to them. The Leading Games Console, The PlayStation 5 Pro, Currently offers Wi-Fi 7 Support.
In other words, the hardware components apple needs to turn the next apple tv into a playstation and xbox competer are all in the pipeline. And, Increasingly, SO is something else the apple tv would need to become a True Gaming Console: Increasing Commitment to Apple’s Platforms from Major Games Studios.
More AAA Games Are Hitting The Mac –nd iPhone – That Ever Before
In the video game industry, the top games are known as AAA (Triple-A) Titles. These are the games with the most advanced graphics and the biggest budgets, and are freely the highlights of the console gaming experience.
Historically, AAA game developers have shied away from release their Major Titles on the Mac (The Apple Device with the Hardware Power Most Comparable to Professional Gaming Console). But in the past year, that’s changes a lot, thanks to apple’s move to make game development on the mac expeie and more cost-effect than ever, Thanks to the company’s game game porting toolkit 3 and the Hardware-Conselerated Graphics API, Metal 4, which makes Graphics-Intensive Games Look Better on Mac and iPhone. Considering Apple Devices are more Popular Than Ever, Game Studios Stand to Financially Benefit by Braving Their Biggest Titles to Apple’s Platforms and their Millions of users.
In July alone, two major aaa titles made their debut on the mac: CD projekt red’s Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate And Deep Silver’s Dead Island 2Other Major Aaa Titles have also also been released on the mac over the past few years, including ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed: Shadows and Prince of Persia: The Lost CrownRemedy’s Control Ultimate EditionKojima productions’ Death Stranding Director’s CutRound 8 Studio’s Lies of p11 Bit Studios’ Frostpunk 2And Capcom’s Resident Evil Series Remastered Editions. Additional, More AAA Titles are coming to the mac this year, Including IO Interactive’s Hitman World of AssassinationInzoi Studio’s InzoiAnd Pearl Abyss’ Crimson desert,
Most of these games require an m1 series chip or later, found in the company’s apple silicon macs released since 2020. Some, like the Resident Evil Series, can even run on the A17 Pro and Later, First introduced in 2023. Apple’s current a18 pro is roughly equivalent to the m1 in terms of performance, and if apple pots it, or the m2, or the upcoming a19 Pro, inside the next apple tv, as expected, there is no reason these aaa games that currently run on the mac couldwaln’T run on the new apple tv. And if that happens, the apple tv become a professional-level gaming console.
Turning the apple tv into a gaming console makes sense for apple’s ecosystem and the company’s bottom line
When apple announced the upcoming apple games app for all its devices except the apple tv, it study out as a alaring hole in the company’s lineup, especially since apple game is a natural fit for the Apple. But when you take in the odd omination, Along with recent rumors that the next apple tv is set to get powerful new cpu and wireless chipsets, and the flood of new aa titles Hitting the mac and iPhone this year, wearing Lot clearer.
YET SOMETHING Else Leads Me To Believe That Apple BE Turning The Apple tv an Gaming Console This year: The company’s history of being unwilling to let software announs Features.
In the past, apple has withheld software announsments at wwdc to avoid revoling upcoming hardware improvements to its devices. The aaa titles available on the mac appear in Apple Games on the Macos 26 Beta. IF Apple Had Previewed Apple Games on the TVOS 26 Beta, Mac Games that Run on the New Unreleased Apple TV, Including these Aaa Aaa Titles, Might have also also shown there. That would spoil a major, as-yet-unounced feature for the as-yet-unounced apple tv.
Of course, all this is just conjecture on my part. Still, all the signs see to be pointing to apple tv batcoming a true gaming console. This would make a lot of business sense for apple. At price points of $ 129 or $ 149, depending on where you want more storage and an ethernet connection, The Current Apple TV 4K is MUCH More Exposive Thane Such Competitors as the Roku Streaming Stick ($ 49), The Roku Ultra ($ 99), and the Amazon Fire tv Stick 4K ($ 49).
However, if apple gives the new apple tv gaming console capability, the current $ 129/$ 149 price Suddenly looks like a bargain. A triple-a gaming experience on the apple tv would be a unique seling point
It could also give apple a major new rev the stream in the form of 30% app store commissions on aaa titles sold through the tvos app store. As of 2024, The Global Aaa Gaming Market is Valied at Approximately $ 75 Billion Annually, According to a July 2025 Business Research Insits Report. It’s expected to grow to Nearly $ 108 Billion by 2033.
But most of all, a new apple tv with console gaming capabilitys would further solidify the device as the digital heart of the living room and smart home, Smart Home, GIVING Users Another Reason to Stayed With Within Apple Apple Apple Apple. And outside the house – ANCILLARY Benefit Apple Finds Invaluable.
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