New iPhone 16 Can Play Big Games Without Pro Version

Val · October 3, 2024, 4:06pm

>”12 months on and the iPhone 16 is here, offering what Apple claims to be a 30 percent CPU and 40 percent GPU boost over last year’s model, courtesy of the new A18 chipset - built to handle the company’s demanding on-device AI features, due later this year. And that extra power (which includes hardware-accelerated ray tracing on the iPhone 16) means big games are no longer exclusive to the iPhone Pro.”

I wasn’t planning on upgrading from my 14 Pro Max, but this is encouraging for the future of iOS gaming.

I’d like to see them push this on MacOS and Apple TV. They should focus on games that suit mobile rather than trying to adapt console games. It is nice to AirPlay or link your iPhone to a display with a controller, but as many have said, there are limitations after extended play. There are plenty of great games on iOS that were designed for PC and have done well. Older strategy games are definitely a guilty pleasure, and they should invest in bringing games like that to iOS. FF Tactics is probably my favorite on the iPhone. If they could get something like Tactics Ogre, I’d buy it immediately. XCOM is another favorite. Stardew. Even games like Civ and Northgard. Story-driven games like Monkey Island work really well too. I don’t want to play Call of Duty on my phone with touch controls.

Well put. The fact that phones can run AAA games is impressive, but I’d rather play Death Stranding on my console or TV. It’s a better experience for such games. However, the phone is ideal for games like the upcoming Balatro and so on. I’ve been tempted to pick up Ex Astris, and my iPhone 15 could handle it. I’m not sure if that is the sort of game I’d want to play on mobile though. Actually, I will likely try it eventually, but AAA games won’t push me to rush for the latest iPhone.

Spencer · October 3, 2024, 4:06pm

>”12 months on and the iPhone 16 is here, offering what Apple claims to be a 30 percent CPU and 40 percent GPU boost over last year’s model, courtesy of the new A18 chipset - built to handle the company’s demanding on-device AI features, due later this year. And that extra power (which includes hardware-accelerated ray tracing on the iPhone 16) means big games are no longer exclusive to the iPhone Pro.”

I wasn’t planning on upgrading from my 14 Pro Max, but this is encouraging for the future of iOS gaming.

My phone has become my favorite console.
And I just figured out how to mirror and use Bluetooth sound. Lol

MaryJane · October 3, 2024, 4:06pm

>”12 months on and the iPhone 16 is here, offering what Apple claims to be a 30 percent CPU and 40 percent GPU boost over last year’s model, courtesy of the new A18 chipset - built to handle the company’s demanding on-device AI features, due later this year. And that extra power (which includes hardware-accelerated ray tracing on the iPhone 16) means big games are no longer exclusive to the iPhone Pro.”

I wasn’t planning on upgrading from my 14 Pro Max, but this is encouraging for the future of iOS gaming.

Do I still need a fan?

Kiran · October 3, 2024, 4:06pm

>”12 months on and the iPhone 16 is here, offering what Apple claims to be a 30 percent CPU and 40 percent GPU boost over last year’s model, courtesy of the new A18 chipset - built to handle the company’s demanding on-device AI features, due later this year. And that extra power (which includes hardware-accelerated ray tracing on the iPhone 16) means big games are no longer exclusive to the iPhone Pro.”

I wasn’t planning on upgrading from my 14 Pro Max, but this is encouraging for the future of iOS gaming.

I’m seeing prices at $800 to $900 for 128 and 256 GB models respectively. Not cheap but not as high as some (like the folding phones). The Pro model costs an extra $200 on top of that, so it saves you some money!

I’ve been taking a moderate approach to phone gaming. I don’t want low end hardware (like an iPhone from 4 generations back or a $40 Android). But I also prefer not to spend over $500 on a phone (so I settled on a Pixel 6 years ago). My choice for tablets was the 9th gen iPad which was the lowest specs back then among all the new iPads. It only cost $300, and still holds up even if it can’t run the $60 Resident Evil games.

Sky · October 3, 2024, 4:06pm

>”12 months on and the iPhone 16 is here, offering what Apple claims to be a 30 percent CPU and 40 percent GPU boost over last year’s model, courtesy of the new A18 chipset - built to handle the company’s demanding on-device AI features, due later this year. And that extra power (which includes hardware-accelerated ray tracing on the iPhone 16) means big games are no longer exclusive to the iPhone Pro.”

I wasn’t planning on upgrading from my 14 Pro Max, but this is encouraging for the future of iOS gaming.

But which service? They’ve blocked them all.

Terry · October 3, 2024, 4:06pm

>”12 months on and the iPhone 16 is here, offering what Apple claims to be a 30 percent CPU and 40 percent GPU boost over last year’s model, courtesy of the new A18 chipset - built to handle the company’s demanding on-device AI features, due later this year. And that extra power (which includes hardware-accelerated ray tracing on the iPhone 16) means big games are no longer exclusive to the iPhone Pro.”

I wasn’t planning on upgrading from my 14 Pro Max, but this is encouraging for the future of iOS gaming.

They mention that because they typically only put new chips in the Pro models while the non-Pro models stick with the previous Pro’s chip.

With the iPhone 15 Pro, they introduced a chip with stronger graphical capabilities, allowing them to bring over games like Resident Evil, Death Stranding, and Assassin’s Creed.

However, if there was any problem with the iPhone 15 Pro, it was overheating even with regular use, especially while gaming. That’s why they introduced the new cooling system.

But the major issues with playing games on a phone are still present. Gaming on your phone drains the battery, and the heat will likely cause the processor to run at lower performance.

Maybe more games will be released now that the standard iPhone has a decent graphics processor, but there weren’t many for the iPhone 15 Pro. That was mainly due to those games only running on that phone, severely limiting the market for them. While now it may grow, it’s still limited since not everyone has an iPhone 15 Pro or 16/16 Pro.

Also, for games like Resident Evil, you need internet access to start the game.

Ira · October 3, 2024, 4:06pm

>”12 months on and the iPhone 16 is here, offering what Apple claims to be a 30 percent CPU and 40 percent GPU boost over last year’s model, courtesy of the new A18 chipset - built to handle the company’s demanding on-device AI features, due later this year. And that extra power (which includes hardware-accelerated ray tracing on the iPhone 16) means big games are no longer exclusive to the iPhone Pro.”

I wasn’t planning on upgrading from my 14 Pro Max, but this is encouraging for the future of iOS gaming.

I can barely get my 14 Pro to last an entire workday on a single charge. I’m never going to game on an iPhone.

Sunny · October 3, 2024, 4:06pm

>”12 months on and the iPhone 16 is here, offering what Apple claims to be a 30 percent CPU and 40 percent GPU boost over last year’s model, courtesy of the new A18 chipset - built to handle the company’s demanding on-device AI features, due later this year. And that extra power (which includes hardware-accelerated ray tracing on the iPhone 16) means big games are no longer exclusive to the iPhone Pro.”

I wasn’t planning on upgrading from my 14 Pro Max, but this is encouraging for the future of iOS gaming.

Features needing widespread adoption to be effective usually appear on standard models the next year. This upgrade is just a CPU upgrade, which happens almost every year.

Cleo · October 3, 2024, 4:06pm

>”12 months on and the iPhone 16 is here, offering what Apple claims to be a 30 percent CPU and 40 percent GPU boost over last year’s model, courtesy of the new A18 chipset - built to handle the company’s demanding on-device AI features, due later this year. And that extra power (which includes hardware-accelerated ray tracing on the iPhone 16) means big games are no longer exclusive to the iPhone Pro.”

I wasn’t planning on upgrading from my 14 Pro Max, but this is encouraging for the future of iOS gaming.

Written September 13, 2024
This looks promising for the future of iOS gaming; maybe we’ll see some PS5 games like FF16 ported to iOS. It should be easy, considering FF15 Pocket Edition was ported to iOS as a precise copy of the console version, just with a chibi art style. It’s also been 6 years since that was launched, so with a chip like the M series, we should be able to play a full PS2 graphic version of FF16 if they want to port it… I might start a petition for FF16 to be brought to iOS.

We have already seen PS4 games like 2020-2024:

Resident Evil 4 Remake
Resident Evil Village
Death Stranding
Assassin’s Creed Mirage
Resident Evil 7
XCOM 2
Divinity Original Sin 2
Alien Isolation

Back in 2018, we didn’t have many console games on iOS aside from PS2 games (Civilization 6 released 2 months before FF15 PE) so it’s understandable why they couldn’t port the full FF15 to iOS using chibi graphics. FF15 was a PS4 game and there was no benefit to porting a PS4 game when iOS was limited to showcasing PS2 games, but now with these PS4 titles, we can at least consider having FF16 on iOS with PS2 graphics, or even chibi graphics to simplify things.

Vale · October 3, 2024, 4:06pm

>”12 months on and the iPhone 16 is here, offering what Apple claims to be a 30 percent CPU and 40 percent GPU boost over last year’s model, courtesy of the new A18 chipset - built to handle the company’s demanding on-device AI features, due later this year. And that extra power (which includes hardware-accelerated ray tracing on the iPhone 16) means big games are no longer exclusive to the iPhone Pro.”

I wasn’t planning on upgrading from my 14 Pro Max, but this is encouraging for the future of iOS gaming.

I used a MagSafe cooler and played RE4 and RE8 while on vacation in Mexico, and it ran smoothly — never dimmed, and the battery performed surprisingly well.

Mackenzie · October 3, 2024, 4:06pm

>”12 months on and the iPhone 16 is here, offering what Apple claims to be a 30 percent CPU and 40 percent GPU boost over last year’s model, courtesy of the new A18 chipset - built to handle the company’s demanding on-device AI features, due later this year. And that extra power (which includes hardware-accelerated ray tracing on the iPhone 16) means big games are no longer exclusive to the iPhone Pro.”

I wasn’t planning on upgrading from my 14 Pro Max, but this is encouraging for the future of iOS gaming.

But can it emulate PS2 games?

Haru · October 3, 2024, 4:06pm

>”12 months on and the iPhone 16 is here, offering what Apple claims to be a 30 percent CPU and 40 percent GPU boost over last year’s model, courtesy of the new A18 chipset - built to handle the company’s demanding on-device AI features, due later this year. And that extra power (which includes hardware-accelerated ray tracing on the iPhone 16) means big games are no longer exclusive to the iPhone Pro.”

I wasn’t planning on upgrading from my 14 Pro Max, but this is encouraging for the future of iOS gaming.

But can it emulate PS2 games?

Not until Apple permits JIT. It’s a shame because the device could totally handle it. I want to run GameCube games so badly.

Mai · October 3, 2024, 4:06pm

>”12 months on and the iPhone 16 is here, offering what Apple claims to be a 30 percent CPU and 40 percent GPU boost over last year’s model, courtesy of the new A18 chipset - built to handle the company’s demanding on-device AI features, due later this year. And that extra power (which includes hardware-accelerated ray tracing on the iPhone 16) means big games are no longer exclusive to the iPhone Pro.”

I wasn’t planning on upgrading from my 14 Pro Max, but this is encouraging for the future of iOS gaming.

The mobile gaming scene has been dragging games down for some time. I doubt this will make a difference as folks want everything to be F2P garbage. That’s why. Plus, many aren’t keen on playing AAA games on smaller screens. Handheld PCs don’t really count since they still share your library with your existing PC.

Ari · October 3, 2024, 4:06pm

>”12 months on and the iPhone 16 is here, offering what Apple claims to be a 30 percent CPU and 40 percent GPU boost over last year’s model, courtesy of the new A18 chipset - built to handle the company’s demanding on-device AI features, due later this year. And that extra power (which includes hardware-accelerated ray tracing on the iPhone 16) means big games are no longer exclusive to the iPhone Pro.”

I wasn’t planning on upgrading from my 14 Pro Max, but this is encouraging for the future of iOS gaming.

Meanwhile, I’m still looking for a new iPhone 13 mini. I enjoy the larger screen size for games, but don’t mind the smaller screen if it allows me to use the phone with one hand.

Joss · October 3, 2024, 4:06pm

>”12 months on and the iPhone 16 is here, offering what Apple claims to be a 30 percent CPU and 40 percent GPU boost over last year’s model, courtesy of the new A18 chipset - built to handle the company’s demanding on-device AI features, due later this year. And that extra power (which includes hardware-accelerated ray tracing on the iPhone 16) means big games are no longer exclusive to the iPhone Pro.”

I wasn’t planning on upgrading from my 14 Pro Max, but this is encouraging for the future of iOS gaming.

It sounds cool in theory but I’ve found I don’t like my phone dying more from gaming.

LuolAussie · October 3, 2024, 4:06pm

>”12 months on and the iPhone 16 is here, offering what Apple claims to be a 30 percent CPU and 40 percent GPU boost over last year’s model, courtesy of the new A18 chipset - built to handle the company’s demanding on-device AI features, due later this year. And that extra power (which includes hardware-accelerated ray tracing on the iPhone 16) means big games are no longer exclusive to the iPhone Pro.”

I wasn’t planning on upgrading from my 14 Pro Max, but this is encouraging for the future of iOS gaming.

What’s a AAA game on mobile? I haven’t seen anything without freemium features.

Haru · October 3, 2024, 4:06pm

>”12 months on and the iPhone 16 is here, offering what Apple claims to be a 30 percent CPU and 40 percent GPU boost over last year’s model, courtesy of the new A18 chipset - built to handle the company’s demanding on-device AI features, due later this year. And that extra power (which includes hardware-accelerated ray tracing on the iPhone 16) means big games are no longer exclusive to the iPhone Pro.”

I wasn’t planning on upgrading from my 14 Pro Max, but this is encouraging for the future of iOS gaming.

What’s a AAA game on mobile? I haven’t seen anything without freemium features.

There are plenty of quality premium games among the sea of freemium cash-grabs. Just hang around the forum for a few days, and you’ll see many! But the article is focused on games like Assassin’s Creed Mirage, Death Stranding, and Resident Evil Village.

Jesse · October 3, 2024, 4:06pm

>”12 months on and the iPhone 16 is here, offering what Apple claims to be a 30 percent CPU and 40 percent GPU boost over last year’s model, courtesy of the new A18 chipset - built to handle the company’s demanding on-device AI features, due later this year. And that extra power (which includes hardware-accelerated ray tracing on the iPhone 16) means big games are no longer exclusive to the iPhone Pro.”

I wasn’t planning on upgrading from my 14 Pro Max, but this is encouraging for the future of iOS gaming.

It’s probably going to cost as much as a laptop.

Zeek · October 3, 2024, 4:06pm

>”12 months on and the iPhone 16 is here, offering what Apple claims to be a 30 percent CPU and 40 percent GPU boost over last year’s model, courtesy of the new A18 chipset - built to handle the company’s demanding on-device AI features, due later this year. And that extra power (which includes hardware-accelerated ray tracing on the iPhone 16) means big games are no longer exclusive to the iPhone Pro.”

I wasn’t planning on upgrading from my 14 Pro Max, but this is encouraging for the future of iOS gaming.

Give me Bomb Rush CyberFunk, and I’ll set my cookie and coffee down.

Blake · October 3, 2024, 4:06pm

>”12 months on and the iPhone 16 is here, offering what Apple claims to be a 30 percent CPU and 40 percent GPU boost over last year’s model, courtesy of the new A18 chipset - built to handle the company’s demanding on-device AI features, due later this year. And that extra power (which includes hardware-accelerated ray tracing on the iPhone 16) means big games are no longer exclusive to the iPhone Pro.”

I wasn’t planning on upgrading from my 14 Pro Max, but this is encouraging for the future of iOS gaming.

I don’t think the bottleneck in playing AAA games is the device but rather the lack of games.