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Will console level games come to iPad Pro?
- Thread starter whitedragon101
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If you built your games like 99.9% of developers in xCode, Unity, Unreal
Then all it requires is a recompile and you're good to go.
You mean like Bioshock on iOS? It was made with unreal engine and an iOS update broke the game.
If a AAA developer can't fix it, it doesn't sound like a simpile recompile can fix it.
Hardcore gamers (who would spend money on a full price game & MFI controller) don't because in their mind there is only poor quality ports, or casual freemium games on mobile devices. Gamers have also been burned with apps becoming unplayable with IOS updates or app that are never updated (Bioshock on IOS for example.)
Game manufacturers won't put expensive apps on mobile because there is no customers in their view. Freemium games are the only ones that make money, and it is much more constant stream than one time purchases. Hardcore gamers hate paywalls.....
Apple designed their MFI controller without clickable buttons on the MFI controller spec, requiring adjustments to almost every ported game. Apple doesn't even have a way to search to find if games has MFI support in the app store. Game center could have been apple's xbox live, but one of the IOS apps removed the game center app, and it looks to be if not forgotten by apple simply an afterthought at this point.
Game manufacturers won't put expensive apps on mobile because there is no customers in their view. Freemium games are the only ones that make money, and it is much more constant stream than one time purchases. Hardcore gamers hate paywalls.....
Apple designed their MFI controller without clickable buttons on the MFI controller spec, requiring adjustments to almost every ported game. Apple doesn't even have a way to search to find if games has MFI support in the app store. Game center could have been apple's xbox live, but one of the IOS apps removed the game center app, and it looks to be if not forgotten by apple simply an afterthought at this point.
Mobile gaming is simply not the same market as console gaming. People do not want to pay for mobile apps for whatever reason. Also development of console games are way too expensive for a studio to take risk with mobile platforms given the current trend of purchasing decisions.
The latest Xbox One X (2017) will play games from the original Xbox (2001).
ARM breaks backwards compatibility every 3-5 years.
To be fair, select games (not all) that are in a custom designed emulator (original Xbox or xbox 360) and tweeked as needed.
Still, it works very well for those games, and I love that Microsoft added backwards compatibility.
Your old console doesn't magically stop working when you buy a newer version.
You're not a typical gamer. I think you also fail to understand that the iPad lacks important hardware control and feedback features.
The iPad lacks shoulder and bumper buttons. This alone cuts the available input controls by half. The lack of vibration/feedback and physical buttons on iPad is another missing component for game immersion.
The iPad Pro simply doesn't have the hardware to support console level games. And the form factor is completely wrong. No matter how good the graphics are, the controls need to match. The typical gamer doesn't want to hold a rectangular and flat surface iPad as a gaming device.
Consumers are willing to spend money if they see value in their purchase. A $19.99 movie purchase on iTunes could easily be a $19.99 purchase for a game.
I think I see why there is such a disparity between mobile and console gaming.
Mobile: Expensive but multi-use and (almost) essential device(s). Preferably playable on the go, thus implied expectation that games can be started and stopped easily at anywhere, anytime. People use these to kill time in between two or more activities.
Console: Cheaper but single-use and luxury device(s). Does not need to be playable on the go, thus implied expectation that games need not be started and stopped easily at anywhere, anytime. People dedicate a period of time just to use the device and thus enjoy the game.
Of course you can say that there are exceptions (e.g. players who dedicate time and money for mobile gaming) and the lines are blurring bit by bit (e.g. the Nintendo Switch), but these differences are still prevalent.
Mobile: Expensive but multi-use and (almost) essential device(s). Preferably playable on the go, thus implied expectation that games can be started and stopped easily at anywhere, anytime. People use these to kill time in between two or more activities.
Console: Cheaper but single-use and luxury device(s). Does not need to be playable on the go, thus implied expectation that games need not be started and stopped easily at anywhere, anytime. People dedicate a period of time just to use the device and thus enjoy the game.
Of course you can say that there are exceptions (e.g. players who dedicate time and money for mobile gaming) and the lines are blurring bit by bit (e.g. the Nintendo Switch), but these differences are still prevalent.
No but with each new one all my old stuff is incompatible as I said. Equally annoying.
Hey that’s good to know and a great step towards user friendliness. Thanks for sharing.
Why does it take 50 million to make a fun game? It seems like more could be done for less.
[doublepost=1524009104][/doublepost]Its going to take a couple more years for the number of tablet owners to grow. Right now tablet-only games are not viable, they have to work on small phones too to get a big enough market. Soon enough many people will own tablets they will use for most of their computing and we will start to see nice tablet-only mobile games.
The iPad Pro is getting seriously powerful and will get even more so this year. Unreal Engine and Unity already work with metal natively meaning that porting PC/ Console games to IOS would be straightforward. Just hook in a Bluetooth controller and you’re good to go.
After seeing the Witness Ported in its entirety to IOS running just fine on an iPhone 6s and Playerunkown battlegrounds ported to IOS and running again on an iPhone 6s. I wonder just what would be possible on an iPad Pro. Could we see proper console level games ported to IOS?
(I really really want a port of Witcher 3 to IOS)
Edit :
I mean with game pad support for the same controller experience
Consoles generate a lot of Heat and Require ventilation. Both the iPad can not deal with. Right now the iPad Pro can deal with PS2 level of quality and games maybe a bit higher given the exteremely high Resolution.
Besides those two problems which are huge.
Comes cost Console level games even porting them takes Millions of Dollars and must sell for $59.99 again not happening on iPad
Last are Controls. I love Vain Glory and FortNite both are above PS2 Quality but the control scheme leaves me unfulfilled.
If the iPad Pro ever gets KeyBoard and Mouse Support Is even see a Starcraft 2 type game Fluorishing.
And a dedicated Gaming Controller would be nice too.
A few factors may contribute to individuals being reluctant to pay any substantial dollar amount for mobile games.
Psychological price perception: I've grown accustomed to seeing games for $1, $2, $3, etc. and unfortunately, those are the price points I'm expecting for mobile games. Had mobiles games initially started to price their games at $49.99, then I think the willingness to pay anything higher would have been more "acceptable" to a certain extent.
Lower expectations: How in depth are these mobile games really?: Too many terrible simple games made by just about anyone has clouded my perception of what mobile games could be. There's a certain expectation (level of quality) for PS4 and XB1 games -- there's an enormous cost involved to bring a game to light on consoles. But with mobile games, it seems like anyone can put them out.
"Always needing to be connected online. Internet required." Not all games require internet connection, but this has recently left a very bad taste in my mouth when I was looking for a quality mobile baseball game. I'm an offline gamer at heart and will always be. I don't want to be restricted. The only current MLB baseball game that is completely OFFLINE is RBI baseball 18. I bought it for $6.99.
Is the mobile game flooded with microtransactions if I buy the full retail version?
Just let me buy the game outright without constantly being reminded that I can "level up" by using real money to buy virtual currency or virtual token or virtual whatevers.
Graphics and gameplay:
Kind of self explanatory. Graphics should/need to be up to snuff. Gameplay should also have a level of depth to them.
As someone who only plays predominantly sports games, I would be willing to pay for something of quality at the higher cost. The following three video shows the graphical difference between two mobile version of NBA2k and the console version. 2k18 Mobile (exclusively available through the New Zealand store) has the same level of graphical fidelity as the PS4 version. The Tablet "NBA2k18" version available world wide has poorer graphics.
Tablet - "NBA2k18 Mobile" iOS
Tablet "NBA2k18" iOS
Console - NBA2k18 PS4
But is that really the same as updating the iOS. Current consoles continually get updates, but the very first game for the PS4 back in 2013 still works to this day.
Psychological price perception: I've grown accustomed to seeing games for $1, $2, $3, etc. and unfortunately, those are the price points I'm expecting for mobile games. Had mobiles games initially started to price their games at $49.99, then I think the willingness to pay anything higher would have been more "acceptable" to a certain extent.
Lower expectations: How in depth are these mobile games really?: Too many terrible simple games made by just about anyone has clouded my perception of what mobile games could be. There's a certain expectation (level of quality) for PS4 and XB1 games -- there's an enormous cost involved to bring a game to light on consoles. But with mobile games, it seems like anyone can put them out.
"Always needing to be connected online. Internet required." Not all games require internet connection, but this has recently left a very bad taste in my mouth when I was looking for a quality mobile baseball game. I'm an offline gamer at heart and will always be. I don't want to be restricted. The only current MLB baseball game that is completely OFFLINE is RBI baseball 18. I bought it for $6.99.
Is the mobile game flooded with microtransactions if I buy the full retail version?
Just let me buy the game outright without constantly being reminded that I can "level up" by using real money to buy virtual currency or virtual token or virtual whatevers.
Graphics and gameplay:
Kind of self explanatory. Graphics should/need to be up to snuff. Gameplay should also have a level of depth to them.
As someone who only plays predominantly sports games, I would be willing to pay for something of quality at the higher cost. The following three video shows the graphical difference between two mobile version of NBA2k and the console version. 2k18 Mobile (exclusively available through the New Zealand store) has the same level of graphical fidelity as the PS4 version. The Tablet "NBA2k18" version available world wide has poorer graphics.
Tablet - "NBA2k18 Mobile" iOS
Tablet "NBA2k18" iOS
Console - NBA2k18 PS4
But is that really the same as updating the iOS. Current consoles continually get updates, but the very first game for the PS4 back in 2013 still works to this day.
I think you rather underestimate how powerful the A10x chip in the iPad Pro is. While not as powerful as say a PS4 its more powerful than a PS2 by a long way.
iPad Pro 10.5" GPU is 460Gflops
xBox 360 is 240Gflops
PS3 190Gflops
So markedly more powerful than consoles only 1 Gen back. This years iPad Pro will hopefully make ground on that again.
Last edited:
GRID is way above what you call possible on an iPad.
Check it out. It is happening.
You can also get some nice controllers to enhance gameplay. Again this is happening right now.
Cost. Again it’s not $60. It’s happening.
The 2018 iPads even have headphone jacks. Happening. Again.
Well it just goes to show that incompatibility is common for gamers. Console gamers that is. Usually walled garden systems.
I have tons of iOS games that are still working on the current version of iOS even though i had them for years.
Do I expect all of these developers to make it in the long run? No, of course not. A lot will perish, and new stuff will take its place. Stuff will stop working if people stop developing it.
Ps2?
Any iPad from 2014 or newer is above ps2 levels.
In fact the grid austopsort developers are on record saying that an a9 is above xbox360 levels. Given the a10x is more than 4x faster than an a9, you can see the potential if developers pushed the iPad Pro hardware.
It’s not the processing power of a chipset on paper. It’s about being able to run a system at the highest performance all the time. Mobile chipsets aren’t designed for that. Although the main reason is business viability due to too many unknown factors and the general consumer attitude towards mobile gaming.
Just one random game doesn’t change the industry. We’ve seen many games from time to time with really good graphics but they didn’t catch on. Consumer trend and expectations matter a lot.
I can still play games on my consoles from the 80s/90s. I have games from just a few years ago that no longer work in iOS, with no way of running them at all (by downgrading, etc).
Just because you buy a new console doesn't mean any of your current stuff is affected one bit. The only difference is your new games will be for the new console.
You don't have to replace a single thing.
It is not on paper. Grid is an actual running game outputting graphics much higher than what is possible on an xbox360.
Absolutely no frame drops or detectable throttling when running grid on my iPad Pro for long sessions.