These days, when Apple is at the forefront of current technology, some media headlines have reported how it happened. iPhone 15 Pro is the “best game console” according to Apple. Sure, a company is defending its products, and Apple would never say “the iPhone 15 Pro is a nice console, but it’s definitely not like the Switch,” but that’s not exactly what this reference is.

The statement in question is taken from an interview conducted by. IGN To Apple’s executives and vice presidents Tim Millet, Jeremy Sandmel and Kaiann Drance. Finally, Jeremy says, “I guess they say the best gaming console is the one you have with you,” to which Kaiann adds, “yes, that’s the new trend,” and Jeremy finishes by saying, “this will be the best gaming console.”

Nuances aside, we’ve tested what this new iPhone 15 Pro has to offer to bring it to a certain level on consoles.

Less ambitious games in the absence of AAA

In our case, we tested with iPhone 15 Pro Max. The ‘Max’ tag means it has a larger screen when we want to play with it directly, but nothing more. Pro and Pro Max share the chip and connector, which is key to this issue.

The forced switch from Lightning to USB-C makes it easier to send the image by connecting the iPhone to a monitor or television. USB-C supports higher transfer speeds on Pro models than previous iPhones with Lightning. Also, unlike Lightning and the MFi program, there are no restrictions for this connector: We can connect almost any peripheral.

The sum of the redesigned 6-core GPU, AV1 encoder and 3-nanometer onboard A17 Pro chip with this connector ray tracing hardware accelerated, game One step further on iPhone. Although there are problems to be solved.

First, we tried connecting the iPhone to the TV with the HDMI/USB-C cable. And here the first differences emerge: the experience is much better than doing so via AirPlay, even when using the next-generation Apple TV 4K. This is a good reminder that wireless communication is very convenient, but nothing is as reliable as a wired connection.

Thanks to AirPlay, we occasionally see constant small pauses that give the feeling of playing. Of course you can play it that way, but there’s always some frustration in the background. Fluency is complete with the cable.

Asphalt 9. You can see the iPhone in the lower left corner. Image: Xataka.

What did we play? Games ranging from Asphalt 9 to GRID Autosport to INSIDE. But this is something that already exists: the advent of USB-C makes it easier to play them fluently on an external display. If Apple is abandoning the concept of using the iPhone as a console, there is another reason.

With the arrival of 15 Pro, Apple has announced that AAA games such as Resident Evil 4 Remake, Death Stranding or Assassin’s Creed Mirage will be released in the future. Not cut versions, but titles brought directly to iPhone (15 Pro and 15 Pro Max only, mind you). Some will also include ray tracing. That’s when things get really interesting.

The controller used was a controller for Xbox Series X|S. iOS also pairs with those on PlayStation 4 and 5, or third-party controllers like Razer, Backbone, and Company.

In our case, there was frustration trying to play games that inexplicably didn’t support external controls. Like eFootball 2024, it’s a much less viable game without a controller. Winter is expected to arrive. We’ll see.

eFootball 2024’s graphics can’t be compared to current-gen consoles, but they may be sufficient for some types of gamers. It doesn’t yet support compatibility with external controls, so capturing is directly on the iPhone. Image: Xataka.

More details about eFootbal 2024 graphics Image: Xataka.

Other details also suggest that it’s up to developers to adapt games to this experience. For example, hiding the bottom bar that anticipates the app’s closing gesture. Or by adapting the screen resolution, game resolution and frame rate for the display the iPhone is connected to.

INSIDE. Image: Xataka.

We are also confident that we have chosen the right cable. With resolution, refresh rate and HDR support. Not everyone will give us the best experience.

Then there are other factors such as heat dissipation. At this point it would be ideal for us to see the following emerge, perhaps from Apple or – more likely – third parties: dock It is designed to play like this: it allows the iPhone to be placed in a convenient position, it gives order to the furniture on which it stands and, above all, it includes a cooling system, especially if we are moving towards more and more AAA games having access to Pro models.

Future

Especially limiting it to the Pro family, the iPhone takes steps beyond supporting casual games in waiting rooms or more advanced and complex games that can be managed with touch controls.

Apple tried something similar when it released the 4th generation Apple TV in 2015, pitching it as a family console that was a successor to the Wii. It didn’t succeed, among other reasons, because of a ridiculous restriction that doomed it from the beginning: developers’ games can be played not only with an external controller, which has many benefits, but a good video game controller is not among them.

This was the result of taking a half-hearted bet on conservatively pushing the game’s universality before giving the developers enough room to focus on good console-style games that needed a controller to be played on. It made it impossible for the Siri Remote to be the ceiling.

If Apple can make a real bet now, it will have many more opportunities to become more relevant in the video game industry. Almost no one is going to get rid of their Xbox or PlayStation just to play with their iPhone connected to the TV and an external controller. But if AAA offerings and the right support keep coming, this could be a great complement. And even more so in the long run.

Not only for those who play intense games, but also for households that do not have a console because they do not aim too high, they find it appropriate to buy one or two controllers and use their iPhones for certain games.

This first offering is pretty compelling, especially considering we tested it in full on iPhone Pro launch day, along with everything else to come. If more studios are investing in iOS for AAA and are serious about adapting the game for controls and external displays, why not.

And best of all, if Apple allows the external controller to be a requirement, for example having one iPhone 15 Pro and not another. For the interior of the home we have options like those from Sony and Microsoft. Outside, Vertebrates recreate them.

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Featured image | Xataka.