Skip to main content

The new Apple iPhones could be competition for current-gen gaming consoles

Want to play something on your iPhone now? Check out the best iPhone games .

Recommended Videos

During the 2018 Apple iPhone keynote, we were told how the new iPhone XS and XS Max are made for high-end gaming. The company revealed all that is possible thanks to the A12 processor that marketing chief Phil Schiller called “… the smartest and most powerful chip ever in a smartphone.”

‘The Elder Scrolls: Blades’ coming to iPhone XS and XS Max

Blades is an upcoming addition to the Elder Scrolls series created specifically for mobile, and in a demonstration shown by Bethesda’s Todd Howard at the 2018 iPhone keynote, we saw how beautiful it looks, sounds, and plays on the iPhone XS and XS Max.

As we watched the live gameplay, Howard explained that T he Elder Scrolls: Blades is a first-person role-playing game where players engage in combat using either defense, melee, or magic. Players can also turn on a special feature called stereo winding that lets you hear the game audio as if it’s happening around you — all without headphones.

The visual and audio quality we see is comparable to that of current-gen gaming consoles and as the demonstration continues, the overall performance looks immaculate. We watched combat against a large spider while Howard remarked about improved feedback, describing how finger motion and in-game movements are completely in sync. Gameplay on the phone appears incredibly responsive, again thanks to the iPhone’s new processor .

The Elder Scrolls: Blades is available for pre-order now, and is expected to launch in fall 2018 for iOS and Android. Howard has also hinted at releases for PC, VR, and consoles.

Play arcade games with friends in AR

Another gaming-related product announcement made at the 2018 iPhone keynote was Super Kaiji’s AR arcade cabinet. Three demonstrators with new iPhones battle it out using augmented reality — interactive technology that takes the world around you and uses digital and graphical overlays to transform it into a virtual playground. The group plays a game of Galaga AR, shooting at enemies as they fly around in virtual space. The AR, combined with quality audio, makes it look, sound, and feel like the action is right there.

AR Arcade is due to come out later this year.

Felicia Miranda
Born in '89 and raised through the 90s, I experienced what I consider to be the golden age of video games. At an early age, I…
Some iPhone users report overheating when using Apple Intelligence
The Nomad Magnetic Leather Back on the iPhone 16 Pro Max

After a long wait, iOS 18.2 has finally rolled out to the public at large and unlocked more Apple Intelligence features like Image Playground, Genmoji, and an upgraded Mail app. It might have also introduced a way to keep your hands warm on these frosty winter days, according to some users.

Reddit user u/dsdxp posted on the iPhone subreddit that they had unlocked a secret feature in the iPhone 16 Pro. The comment was obviously sardonic, but many other users responded with their own stories of troubling temperatures from their iPhones. The common element between all of the stories was the Image Playground app and the excessive heat it creates while in use.

Read more
In the future, all of the buttons on your iPhone could be Action buttons
iPhone 16 Plus and iPhone 16 Pro Max action button

One of the newest iPhone features, the customizable Action button, could eventually be added to other Apple products, including the iPad and Mac. In addition, future iPhones could have multiple Action buttons. The U.S. Patent Office recently published a patent application (via Patently Apple) that explores these possibilities.

The iPhone Action button was first introduced with the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max and later became available on all iPhone 16 models. This versatile button offers a new level of personalization and efficiency, giving you quick access to your most-used features with a simple click.

Read more
It looks like the iPhone 17 Pro may have a titanium design after all
A person holding the Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max.

In a shining example of why leaks cannot be taken fully at face value, the iPhone 17 Pro might be made of titanium after all. Last week, we reported a leak that suggested the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max handsets could use an aluminum frame for the first time since 2016. Now, another leak suggests that information is inaccurate, and the premium iPhone models will not opt for a less expensive material after all.

"Looking back at the iPhone in recent years, Apple has always focused on promoting the high-end frame materials of the Pro series as one of its selling points, from 'surgical grade stainless steel' to 'titanium.' How can it be said that it was replaced with aluminum?" says Setsuna Digital, a leaker on Weibo.

Read more