A New Era for Mobile Gaming: Apple Announces iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro

Recently, Apple unveiled its latest line of smartphones, and to everyone’s surprise, they come with impressive gaming capabilities. On September 12, 2023, Apple introduced the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro, equipped with the powerful A17 Pro chip that enables real-time ray-traced graphics. According to Apple, the iPhone 15 represents a significant milestone in mobile gaming, as it allows players to enjoy PC and console games that were previously unavailable on mobile devices.

During Apple’s Wonderlust Event, it was revealed that the iPhone 15 Pro would offer a range of AAA games, including notable titles such as Capcom’s Resident Evil Village and Resident Evil 4, Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed Mirage, and Hideo Kojima’s Death Stranding.

A Milestone for Mobile Gaming

Sribalan Santhanam, the Silicon Engineering Group VP, introduced the A17 Pro chip during the event. Santhanam promised that the chip’s internal GPU would deliver buttery-smooth ray-traced reflections, performing four times faster than current software-based rendering. The chip’s benefits extend beyond gaming, as it also features an AV1 decoder for efficient video streaming with higher-quality output, supporting up to 60 FPS HDR and 4k resolution.

During the presentation, game developers showcased their titles running on the iPhone 15 Pro, including Ubisoft’s upcoming free-to-play spinoff game, The Division Resurgence, and Hoyoverse’s Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail. This time, Apple expanded beyond mobile-specific games and delved into the realm of console gaming.

Later this year, iPhone 15 Pro users can look forward to experiencing Capcom’s console versions of Resident Evil 4 Remake and Resident Evil Village, as well as Kojima Productions’ acclaimed game, Death Stranding. Ubisoft’s console variant of Assassin’s Creed Mirage is also scheduled for release next year.

This marks a groundbreaking moment not only for mobile gaming but for the gaming industry as a whole. The release of the iPhone 15 Pro signifies the first time that PC and console games will run natively on iOS. While battery life concerns remain, the mere concept of playing modern games exclusively on mobile hardware is astonishing.

Will This Render Cloud Gaming On Mobile Obsolete?

Cloud gaming has made it possible to play console and PC games on mobile devices. However, this method relies on streaming the games, which can be affected by internet speed. Apple’s M1 and M2-series chips have enabled gaming on iOS devices, but some game developers still have reservations about the idea.

The iPhone is an entirely different story. People enjoy playing games on their iPhones, ranging from Apex Legends to Honkai Star Rail. With the upcoming iPhone 15 Pro release, players will not only have access to puzzle games, free-to-play titles, and gacha games commonly found in mobile gaming but also AAA titles.

Apple claims that their A17 Pro chip boasts a GPU that outperforms current models by 20%, featuring a 6-core design with enhanced energy efficiency. The actual gameplay experience of games like Resident Evil 4 Remake remains to be seen, as the presentation included limited footage and pre-rendered snippets. Until then, cloud gaming remains the sole option for mobile owners to play modern-day releases.

How Will the iPhone 15’s Controls Fare?

One concern among gamers is how well the touchscreen controls will work for the mentioned games on the iPhone 15 Pro. Unfortunately, Apple did not address this topic during their announcement. However, they did emphasize that the iPhone can support third-party controllers, such as the PlayStation 5’s DualSense, via Bluetooth.

iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max Prices

The iPhone 15 Pro, featuring 128 GB of storage and a 6.1-inch screen, will be available for $999. The iPhone 15 Pro Max, offering 256GB of storage and a 6.7-inch screen, will be priced at $1199. Pricing may vary depending on the chosen storage capacity. Both models can be pre-ordered starting September 15, and the official release is set for September 22.