Insiders report that Apple is developing a console that will compete with the Nintendo Switch and the upcoming Steam Deck. Knowing Apple’s scope, we can already imagine what games it will have – a myriad of everything from simple video games to gambling slots like those found in the Canadian casino for real money. Whether Apple’s device has a chance, given its previous negative experience in the gaming market, read our article.
Apple Switch
The network has information that Apple intends to introduce its own gaming console soon.
It is rumored that the device from Apple will be portable, like Nintendo Switch, but will have the level of performance of Sony PlayStation 5.
In addition, it is reported that Apple has already launched the development of several major games. The company will have its alternatives to popular titles available on the Switch, such as The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Odyssey.
The company has long shown its interest in video games by introducing Apple Arcade, an online subscription-based digital game distribution service for mobile devices, computers, and the Apple TV set-top box, in 2019. Now rumors indicate that Apple is developing a handheld console that will compete with the Nintendo Switch, which is currently the only player in the handheld gaming market. Also in December, Valve’s handheld console, the Steam Deck, is expected to be released.
In addition, it was recently revealed that Apple, without creating a single game, has made more money on them than any other company and publisher. Gaming is one of the most profitable areas lately and the COVID-19 pandemic played a special role in this, which also disrupted Apple’s console release plans. PGSlot
Unfortunate Experience
Apple already had experience in the game console market – in the mid-1990s, the company introduced a console called the Apple Bandai Pippin. The company’s goal was to create an inexpensive system, designed mainly to run games and play multimedia files from CDs.
The Pippin run MacOS 7.5.2 on a 66 MHz PowerPC 603 processor with a 14.4 kb/s modem. The device was equipped with a CD-ROM drive and a video output for TV. The company’s console flopped – Bandai produced about 100,000 units, but sold only 40,000 in all.먹튀검증
In 2006 Pippin was ranked 22nd on PC World Magazine’s list of the 25 worst technical products of all time.
The experts believe that Apple’s current chances are much better than they were when Pippin was released. According to him, Apple at the moment is one of the major technology companies, which has an extensive technical base and extensive distribution resources.
This time, Apple will look to the mass market to compete with Japan’s Nintendo. Switch’s success is due to its portability, but it lags behind its competitors in terms of hardware. This is one of the reasons why Steam Deck has become the subject of mass discussion on the Internet – Valve’s portable console will be able to run AAA games without any problems. Apple’s rumored console will be compatible with the upcoming AR/VR headset.
“It will only depend on the product itself from here on out, but judging from the plans already mentioned in various sources, everything is fine there. Portability, power like the PS5, AR/VR headset compatibility – if confirmed, the new console promises to be at least competitive,” experts believe.
They added that if Apple manages to create a quality console, which will not be inferior to the technical characteristics of competitors, easily fit into the current ecosystem and get decent support among the gaming studios, the company could compete even with the leaders of the sphere.
“Apple are marketing geniuses who can sell anything at a premium price. So it should work out, but they have a tough challenge to solve — how to avoid internal competition between the console and smartphones. The iPod, for example, didn’t stand up to this competition,” experts concluded.
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In turn, some experts believe that the Apple console will not be able to conquer the market.
They think that Apple needs new product directions, they are quite tight with it now. A gaming console could potentially be such a direction. The problem is that despite the relative popularity of the App Store, the company has turned Epic Games and many other partners against itself in games, and Apple itself is not very strong in this area in terms of hardware and other things. A game console is a specific thing that can’t be created out of the blue.
The analysts believe that Apple’s plans could be harmed by the development of cloud gaming, which could make Apple’s console an “expensive dead-end” for the company.
“Based on this, Apple is unlikely to succeed, and they will be able to exist in this market, shall we say, in the short term. That is, the product will be moderately popular or unpopular at all and eventually withdraw from the market. That’s probably how you should view what they’re doing,” they said.
The leading analyst and development director at Gameinvest believes that Apple is once again showing that it is ready to fight for its slice of profits in a competitive market.
“The rumors that have emerged regarding their console have not yet been officially confirmed, but there is some doubt that Apple will have a decent product in a profile where initially the firm’s developers are not strong,” he said.
He noted that the positioning of the Apple console as a mobile, which can be used in an apartment, stationary, and on the road, does not mean that this is its competitive advantage. However, something more specific about the prospects of the new device can be said only after its official presentation.