RUMOR: Apple Gunning for PS4/XB1/Wii U with Apple TV

Although iOS devices and the App Store have transformed the handheld gaming market, the first three Apple TV generations did not attempt to challenge Microsoft’s Xbox, Nintendo’s Wii, or Sony’s PlayStation game consoles for complete control of living room TVs. According to sources with knowledge of the product, the fourth-generation Apple TV will actively compete for TV gamers with updated hardware, software, and peripherals that will debut at Apple’s September 9 event in San Francisco.

One of the next Apple TV’s tentpole features will be near-universal Siri control, a feature hinted at in Apple’s invitation to the event. But the other will be deep support for gaming, representing Apple’s largest-ever effort to lure players from traditional consoles. In addition to the convenience of downloading games directly from the Apple TV’s built-in App Store, and controlling many of them via a new bundled remote control, Apple will also support more complex, console-style Bluetooth game controllers with the pressure-sensitive buttons and joysticks previously introduced for iPhones, iPads, and iPod Touch.

Apple’s new Siri remote, akin to the current Apple Remote, will utilize a standard replaceable battery so users will not need to frequently recharge the device like an iPhone or Apple Watch. For gaming purposes, the remote control will have the built-in motion sensors introduced in the iPhone, as first noted by TechCrunch, so that it can be used as a steering wheel for car racing titles and similar games. Importantly, however, the controller is said to connect to the Apple TV over Bluetooth, rather than using a sensor bar with IR support. As a result, the Apple TV’s support for motion controls is unlikely to include a system navigation and pointing interface akin to Nintendo’s Wii.

Like the brand new iPod touch introduced this year, the taller, thicker Apple TV will likely support the latest Bluetooth 4.2 and 802.11ac wireless standards for improved power consumption, data speeds, and signal reliability. Serious gamers will have the ability to choose between multiple controllers for the Apple TV, including the packed-in remote and third-party Bluetooth gaming controllers. Last year, we profiled the controversy surrounding official Bluetooth controllers for Apple devices, discussing how high pricing and limited functionality were leading to modest interest from consumers. Now that the Apple TV will support both downloadable games and game controllers, it seems likely that both software developers and peripheral makers will work to improve their products.

Besides Siri support, an App Store, a gaming focus, and a new remote control, the new Apple TV will include a refreshed user interface and an iOS 9 core for its operating system. The new box will be announced alongside the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus at an event on September 9th. The new living room appliance will then ship in October for between $149 and $199. Stay tuned, as we’ll have even more details on the new products as the event approaches.

SOURCE

I am aware of System War's propensity to not take Apple seriously with regards to gaming, but Apple has already laid waste to one gaming market (handhelds) once. Who is to say that their sheer ubiquity will not lead to a repeat performance with consoles?

All eyes on Apple come September 9.

http://www.gamespot.com/forums/system-wars-314159282/why-the-new-apple-tv-will-kill-your-xbox-or-playst-32445658/#21

I think MS tried to telegraph the punch with the XBox One but their delivery was so hamfisted that it opened the door for an Apple integrated device despite themselves.

@charizard1605:

Uh , lock thread , Mr. Mod?

They haven't really laid waste to mobile games, they just created a new mobile market for casuals.

The 3DS still does quite well and has lots of games. The Vita failed but that was because Sony screwed that up. The phone game market is more about nickel and diming soccer moms and teenage girls to death with crappy f2p microtransaction games.

More importantly, Apple isn't even the biggest player in mobile gaming. Android has an 80% market share over iOS.

Different source, different news, different thread. Follow through on the source links, please.

No, they captured the bulk of handheld gamers. 3DS is doing well, but its market share plateaus at 50 million- which is less than the DS, less than the PSP, less than the Gameboy Advance, less than the Gameboy Color, less than the original Gameboy.

And Apple absolutely is the biggest player in mobile gaming.It may lose in overall marketshare to Android, but in terms of gaming,download numbers and revenues are comically slanted in Apple's favor (which is why Android gets apps late, if at all, and even then it gets inferior versions).

Already a thread.

Both talk about the same thing: Apple trying to enter the home console market.

why it will fail: DRM. People lost their damn minds about DRM at the Xbox One announce and Apple is far worst as far as DRM goes.

And yet they are different articles, with different news and content.

I saw the other thread, and I decided that this one was differentiated enough to warrant making it. Move on, stop with the backseat modding.

Yeah, but people don't care about it with Apple. Look at iOS.

People don't care, as it's the same DRM Valve Corp has been using on Steam for a long time already.

@charizard1605: If you say so. Apple has started their slow decent imho since Jobs passed. I dont really see this catching on but hey stranger things have happened.

The rumor I've seen floating around is it will aim to emulate the same technical fidelity found on PS3/360, so if I'm being optimistic I'm hoping it will target Wii U specs so 1080p/60fps can happen for smaller titles ala Rocket League. But who is supporting it? Is it simply going to be an Apple outlet for indies and ports?

There's potential for a low-cost, simple games system for the mainstream audience and coupled with the Apple ecosystem, there's the potential for market disruption. But Apple's not going to get away with just porting iOS games to the TV and calling it a day. Since it seems they're trying to emulate the Wii, they should learn from it: without the software support Nintendo provided, that system was utter garbage. And the next question is how will they scale year to year? Apple has so many concerns on the development front that I can't make out where this effort will head.

Why doesn't Apple just make a console instead?

lol

Why invest hundreds of millions of dollars in the most fickle market?

All apple really needs to do is have comparable specs, a decent controller, and some kind of phone/iTunes integration. If it costs $300, apple could offer up X amount of cloud storage and streaming of their iTunes video ala netflix. People flock to apple and because of that , developers would flock to apple...........apple also really knows how to market. Those watches are the ugliest fckng things I've ever seen and people buy them.

@Big_Red_Button: what you said about soccor moms and teenage girls is spot on, but its also kids...hence one of the reason the wii u bombed.

Its a.shame but kids are more interested in freemium rip off.games then real games with.actual depth. My 10 year old son and his friends all talk.about roblox on pc ( a casual non saving, a flash like, multiplayer platform on pc) and shit like clash of clans, or anything that is advertised like that as kids absorb tv ads like no one else.

Then you have moms and non gamers playing crap on facebook and the many candy crush clones...

My wife says i spend so much time gaming, but i bring up that she does it more than me on her ipad.... but she doesnt see them.as games for some reason...lol. its like its justified to them because its on a phone or tablet and they see other people doing it. Ughhh.

This casual console wont connect with those people though. Most already have a device for these "games" and wouldnt bother playing on a tv. Hell my wife doesnt even like using chromecast, i figure many other middle aged women and non gamers will be similar.

I think it might be a good ideal. Do shows, movies, games etc with it and will most likely sell good, just give it a nice price under $99.

So, the price will go from $75 to $150-$200?

I'm looking at it, by far the best mobile os in the market. Not sure why anyone puts up with android.

The Apple Store and the Play Store have good games.

But to compete with Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo's Heavy Hitting IPs as well as these Graphic Heavy Games like Metal Gear Solid 5 or The Witcher 3, no Mobile game is going to just come over and be "The Best".

ROFLMMFAO. Don't you know that there is no equal to the Xbox ONE. Never will be.

@ladyblue: I agree. Android is pretty bad. it sacrifices ease of use (which is expected in a mobile device) to be full fledged and flexible, but is outdone in those regards by better OSs such as Windows anyway. So it's neither here nor there.

So the Wii-esque Apple TV in a way? Targeting casuals and with motion control.

Should be interesting.

I'd like to see Modern Combat 6 for TV with decent waggle controls.

Will be shit just like mobile gaming. :^)

@charizard1605: In terms of hardware performance, anything less than Xbox One mostly likely fail.

Not necessarily, especially if it is not aiming for the AAA industry ecosystem.

Apple has backed themselves into the gaming world. They literally haven't even tried to disrupt gaming, but have done exactly that, particularly in the mobile world. I'd be very surprised if Apple released a new AppleTV with gaming as the marquee feature. More likely, it'll have some other upgrades and interesting features, and also feature significant gaming opportunities through 3rd party investments.

The margins aren't high enough on traditional gaming to entice Apple to join the fray. If they do enter the race in earnest, it'll be with something disruptive, and you should all be genuinely concerned. (Not me, I can't wait for someone to shake things up)

Good luck to them, I didn't know about this until yesterday so they better start marketing those system sellers, whatever they may be.

Double lol

Well, I ain't buying

I definitely saw this move coming and I'm sure this is the reason why Microsoft went so media-centric with their Xbox One reveal..

Even with that initial and horrible PR failure, once the Windows 10 update releases on console, Microsoft still has the nuts and bolts in place to combat Apple for the living room now that they've refocused on their core audience.. A unified app store across phone, tablets, and PCs, a unified OS across those same devices, universal Cortana support, and more seems to matching feature-for-feature what the new Apple TV will be potentially offering..

The Apple TV will still have two major advantages though: a much lower price point and a legion of loyal customers who are already heavily invested in the Apple ecosystem.. If, at a minimum, they can get the big name Indie games on board, that may be enough to satisfy the more casual crowd and some hardcore gamers as well..

As I've said long ago, Sony is the company at most risk if/when Apple and/or Google get serious in trying to take over the living room by trying to appeal to core gamers.. It's going to be a battle of ecosystems and I think it's safe to say that Sony is the least prepared for that type of war.. Outside of the PS4, their ecosystem consists of the last-gen PS3, the virtually dead PS Vita, and a handful of Sony manufactured (but Android based) phones and tablets..

Sony's simple marketing approach of "it's just a gaming box, nothing more" has been a massive success for core gamers but it may prove to be a rather short-sighted strategy now that the other chess pieces are coming into play..

All I can say is: it's about to get interesting..

@Antwan3K: Yup.

It's also being reported by many outlets that it'll feature universal search, so you can look for a movie or TV show across multiple content providers (a pretty big deal for a company like Apple with so much content power). It's also being reported that it'll have an overclocked A8 or maybe even the new A9 chip designed by Apple, which may not have all the graphical bells and whistles of current gen hardware but that may put it on par with a PS3 or 360. AND it may have a motion sensing controller.

All in all, for a $149 hub, it's looking more and more like we'll get a very compelling (and affordable) hub.

Every time I see someone laugh it off, I can't help but remember this:

Wouldn't have mattered, Apple can sell everything to their supporters. Have you seen their keynotes? They cheer like crazy for basically anything.

I've never seen that kind of behavior ever..

@charizard1605: Completely disagree with you you guys have to stay away from Samsung and try anything thats close to the real android experience.

Apparently I'm not the only one thinking this, they really are insane sometimes

, I really can't tell if you forgot to put jk at the end of your title on this thread or if there is something major you left out. It appears to me that your posts have really gotten bad, you were so much better last gen.

When I think of Sony, Nintendo, Playstation or Xbox, I think "gaming"

When I think of Apple I think "overpriced luxerious stuff"

Whenever they enter it'll take a loooooong time and a lot more than 99 cent games to associate apple with gaming.