The latest generation of AppleTV released this device from the “hobby” label to give it a new one, the multimedia center.
The opening of a AppleTV App Store and the inclusion of new functions and Siri have opened a whole new world of possibilities for a device that was practically not very useful before, especially here in Spain.
It is true that AppleTV 3 is very good to use AirPlay, watch YouTube videos, make use of Netflix (now that it is finally available in Spain) and access certain channels or rent and watch movies online, but nothing more, we didn't have Siri, the interface was bland, it had few functionalities, it wasn't possible install apps, etc etc etc ...
With the Apple TV 4 this changed, Apple released tvOS, a version of iOS for the AppleTV much more complex than the software of these devices used to be, with tvOS came an exclusive AppStore for Apple TV, Siri, a beautiful, fluid and modern interface, in short, a new world of Possibilities were open to AppleTV.
To this Apple added a new controller called Siri Remote that features touch control and microphone, and a perfect combination adding support for MFi controllers hand in hand with a chip like Apple A8, a chip that has proven to be very powerful thanks to its 64-bit architecture and compatibility with Metal, its API to improve the graphics.
These latest developments introduce Apple TV into the console world, perhaps not at the level of the PS4, XBox One and others, but surely it comes to compete face to face with the others.
Performance to match
We have talked about this many times, Apple's A8 chip is one of the most powerful mobile chips on the market, it is clear that the A9 and above all the new A9X outperform substantially, here it may be that Apple has taken the first AppleTV with AppStore as an experiment, and according to the degree of acceptance by users it would put all the firewood on the grill (including version X of its chip) or it would leave the AppleTV as a multimedia center and its standard version of the chip.
What is clear is that the AppleTV 4 is made for performance, the A8 chip is not only capable of playing games at FullHD 1080p without messing up, but internally it is proven that is capable of playing 4K videos without any problem, the fact that Apple has not supported 4K in its AppleTV is already a topic that only they will know how to explain, and if to this demonstrated power we add the enormous heat sink that this new AppleTV has and the permission to increase its temperature (Apple will not care much if your new AppleTV gets a little warm, unlike our iPhone or iPad nobody will have to hold it), we have a perfect combination, a chip that no game in the AppStore has managed to put yet in trouble and free to demonstrate their full potential.
But the future is even more promising, if users accept the new AppleTV as a multimedia center and also we use the console, this is where the key lies for this product to float, since it does not depend on any type of battery, they do not have to worry about the efficiency of its chip, and with the enormous size of the new AppleTV, it is possible to see that there is plenty of room a fan of size like that of the MacBook Pro, combining this size, the continuous power supply and the other factors we get a very clear result, Apple can perfectly add an A9X chip in a future model and bring the graphic section of this device to a new level.
Imagine what could be achieved with the chip of an iPad Pro on a lower resolution screen (the iPad Pro has a resolution higher than FullHD), unlimited power supply (does not depend on batteries) and even a cooling system (heatsink + small quiet fan), this combination would get the most out of the A9X chip and it would give us unimaginable possibilities, I do not want to dare to equate the games to a Call Of Duty Black Ops 2, but it would surely be quite close.
Entering a new market
Apple's entry into the world of consoles would also be an important factor, this would provide Apple with a new source of income by achieving a new audience, the gamer public.
So far everything points to Apple is taking this directionIf we look at the data provided by Apple, the graphs speak for themselves.
For video games and applications for editing photos, videos or graphic rendering, the GPU is where it rules, and Apple has been improving its GPU to a much higher level than its CPU, without going any further, the GPU of the iPhone 6s is up to 90% faster than that of the iPhone 6, almost double, however the CPU is "only" 70% faster, this shows that Apple is vitaminizing the graphical performance section of its devices, since the CPU more than meets expectations and the storage chip improves substantially each generation (the latter approaching the performance of an SSD), amply fulfilling the necessary performance to open and handle apps, but since it is the GPU that could be limited, that is where it is being concentrated. the effort.
If it is not enough proof, let's look at how much the A9X has improved, the iPad chip, the iPad CPU is 22 times better than the first iPad CPU, not bad, but if we look at the GPU, we see that is 360 times better than the first iPadHow does this figure feel? According to the graph, Apple has multiplied the performance of the GPU of the iPad Air 2 by 2 in its new A9X chip, thus placing itself in top of the range iOSHow would a beast like the A9X fit an AppleTV if we let it roam with power and refrigeration? The question answers itself.
With all this, companies like Nintendo would see their business threatened, although it is true that it would save them the exclusivity of their video games for their platforms, I do not know to what extent users will continue to allow Nintendo to command us to buy your console just to play your video games, this would be a star opportunity for them too, since if this happened they would have the opportunity to give up and release their games for AppleTV, Can you imagine?
Smash Bros Brawl on AppleTV, Mario Party, Super Mario Bros, Pokémon, The Legend Of Zelda, Sonic (of course I include games from other companies), all the games that we have longed for in our living room, on a device that in turn It allows us to stream from our iPhones or watch Netflix from the comfort of our sofa and use third-party controllers to play their video games, if I were Sony or Microsoft, I would have them watched ...
Power and versatility, but at what price?
Of course, include these news in a new Apple TV would increase its price, then models with A9X chip, a fan and capacities of 64 and 128GB of storage should come out, this would be brutal since devices of these characteristics would fit perfectly in a shared catalog with the current AppleTV models, they would have the highest price bar reaching € 300 and € 400 and they would not eat the sales of their little sisters since each user would choose one model or another according to the use that they are going to give it.
This is also perfect with the rumor currently circulating announcing the start of production of a new AppleTV model By the beginning of 2016, when nothing has been released on AppleTV4, I am sure that releasing these two devices would not cause much anger on the part of their customers since they would not see the prices of their current products reduced, and the date of the end of 2016 It would come in handy to reduce production costs and be able to put a model like this on sale for half of what an iPad Pro is worth.
Future forecast
So the only thing keeping this from happening is us, if we order and buy video games there will be video games, the developers have to put more batteries but there is much making a great effort and fantastic titles are predicted such as Galaxy On Fire 3, Battle Sumpremacy Evolution, Modern Combat 6, Ashpalt 9, etc ...
If this is fulfilled and there are video games to match, Apple will follow the trend, after all they only want to sell their products, and if they see that the public asks for graphic power they will give it to us, thanks to the Metal API and the inclusion of a high-performance chip like the A9X could cause Activision, Electronic Arts and many more to fix their attention on this device and start adapting their video games, without a doubt it would be a new rival at the height of the two greats, and if Nintendo also gave in (with its enormous profit for selling its games on such purchased devices) it could stand out above PS4 and XBox One by having video games that those platforms do not have.
Conclusion
All this is predictions, assumptions and real information, mixing what we have with what could come can be glimpsed a very promising future for this device, without a doubt, if they released an AppleTV 5 with A9X chip and these characteristics, I would be the first to buy it (if its price does not reach € 500).
And you, What is your opinion? You can let us know your opinion about it in the comments.
»I do not know to what extent users are going to continue allowing Nintendo to command us to buy their console just to play their video games»
From here on, I no longer read ...
You have to have them very large to put this talking about Nintendo on an Apple blog, and as if it were something negative. The first company that makes its users go through the ring is Apple itself, with its proprietary solutions and rejecting industry-wide standards, bossing users around at their bloody whim. To say that Nintendo bosses its users for forcing them to buy its hardware, when this is done by Apple pushed to the limits of fraud to the consumer, is impartial, and an insult to the intelligence of any reader.
Becoming an iCloud account is free and can be done from any operating system, iTunes is available for both OS X and Windows, Apple Music is for OS X, iOS, Windows and Android.
Apple does not force anyone to buy their devices to make use of its services (of course some of them since they are designed for their devices), obviously we do not see iMovie on Windows or Android since Apple cares about taking care of theirs, but anyone is free to shop iTunes and watch movies from their couch using a PC.
What's more, HealthKit and Swift are two Apple projects that are open source, from the moment that Apple creates a new, more modern programming code, optimized and simple, and makes it available to anyone so that even if Google wanted it modified to make Android compatible with it (which would solve many performance problems), Apple does not force anyone to go through the hoop.
Name me 3 Nintendo games (the crap that they have announced to bring the Wii Mii to phones does not help me) that have been released for Android, iOS, PS4 or XBox, the platform is indifferent to me, name 3.
Apple does not cheat its customers, when someone buys an iPhone and spends € 900 on it, they do so because they want to, no one has forced them at gunpoint or charged them after more, you take the device, they give you iMovie, Pages and Keynote, you are given full access to all iCloud features and updates for years for free, and yes, if a new service like Apple Music comes out, an iPhone user will have it before an Android user, and this is the case. Because your customers go first, those who have paid for your device, and then the others.
You can contrast all the data that I have provided on the internet and verify that they are true, if you have seen your intelligence insulted it is something that has been solely and exclusively yours, this opinion article does not insult anyone, Nintendo could make millions marketing emulators of their old consoles for smartphones and developing their video games for PS4, XBox and AppleTV, and would earn more doing this and putting aside their consoles than by following their mechanics of creating consoles and video games exclusively on par, because they do cheat, I remind you that after a few years of Wii, we have seen buyers as they have not returned to make video games for that console that has been irretrievably obsolete.
I think Apple has an ace up its sleeve with respect to the gaming section on AppleTV, we must bear in mind that we do not have access to the GameCenter from tvOS, perhaps they are working on an improvement in functions that puts it at the level of any console of the current market (things like cross voice chat while you play, maybe via Facetime? Friends status, etc ...). I also suspect that they will soon release an "official" Gamepad, which so far we only have it from third-party companies. If Apple fixes it well, it could hit the table well.
Other suspicious things is that tvOS is a very new OS, it is half cooked, I am missing many things, I am missing Safari that with the trackpad that we have on the Siri Remote there is no excuse not to have it, I am missing Facetime, perhaps with a separate accessory An external iSight that works via Bluetooth? ...
Well, let's see how AppleTV evolves, I'm quite happy and satisfied with it.
Let's see if I understood correctly ... Doesn't Apple cheat its customers because they buy it if they want and if not, no, and Nintendo bosses its customers because it forces them to buy its console? Would Nintendo earn more developing its multiplatform games, and that is already a compelling reason? Damn, then let's see when Apple licenses its OS for other phones and computers, they would be gold!
If you like Nintendo games so much, you buy the console. Like I can say that Apple "bosses" its users, because look, it FORCES YOU to buy its Hardware if you want to use its software, the same as Nintendo does…. And look, Nintendo abandons its hardware software as the years go by, just like Aplle, look again ... With the exception that Nintendo does not spoil your hardware by making it unusable, which Apple does.
But of course, Nintendo bosses its customers if it "forces" to buy its hardware to enjoy its software, but if Apple does, and above all, making it useless as the years go by. It is incredible how the same thing if Apple does it well, others badly…. Fanboy in its purest form.
I repeat, Swift, iTunes, Apple Music, iCloud, Apple software and services that are cross-platform.
Search for Nintendo in the AppStore ...
If Apple licensed OS X for other machines it would lose its grace, OS X is a software that is characterized by being made on par with Macs, in this way hardware and software go together and Apple knows how to optimize it, if you license it for anyone install it OS X it would become Linux or Windows.
What I mean is: without an Apple device you can use iCloud, iTunes, Apple Music, Swift and even Pages, Keynote and Numbers from iCloud (Web).
If you want to use anything from Nintendo, go through the box for a console of theirs, anything, they have NOTHING in the AppStore, or in Google Play, or in the PS Store or anywhere, to see if we are less obnoxious against those who write Apple's favor, it is clear that it is not a perfect company, but it is not nearly as closed as Nintendo.
It seems to me that you are getting a bit confused… .you cannot compare the world of the video game industry with the computer industry, since they work in a completely different way. Apple gives the possibility to create iCloud accounts, as well as to test online Pages, Numbers and other stories because they are tools that today you can find for free thanks to free software, I see it as an opportunity to say 'we are also up to the task on this subject and we also make our tools available to users', that way, they can also gain followers.
In the world of video games, none of the big 3 (Sony, Nintendo or Microsoft) give anything for free, at most some chorriapp to connect the mobile or the tablet with the console in a game and little else, whoever is looking for games of These free companies have it dodgy… .and whoever wants free games in general, has the entire market for mobile phones and tablets, but knowing in advance that being free, they are not going to be AAA games.
That you want to call Nintendo a closed company because it forces you to buy a proprietary console to play proprietary games (which is what has always been done), or because it does not provide code or open access applications…. industry (other than the PC) does it? Well, I don't know… it is true that we all have opinions, but it doesn't add up to me as I said above, you are mixing 2 companies and industries that work quite differently.
In the same way I give my opinion towards the article in general, and I think it is great that the Apple TV receives new content as a console, as well as some latest releases on a par with current consoles. But from there to have a future exclusively as a console, it will be that not ... and as an example you have consoles like Nvidia Shield (which has been saved due to its streaming capacity) and Ouya ... consoles that have had much more support from the video game industry and that in the end they came to practically nothing.
Strongly agree with Xavi and Dani.
Apple is the bloody hell of shit.
These blogs definitely have to get your check from apple
I have already presented my arguments against, if you continue to think the same, it is that you have not read it, the day Nintendo presents a programming code or at least a video game freely accessible to all, that day it can be compared with Apple.
Probocaría ??? Fix that, please.
When you put probocaria and probocar, you don't know how to spell it, Juan Colilla. And, for a copywriter, it seems pretty serious. On the other hand, at € 400 nothing to do against Sony. If they want to enter the market, or a lot of quality, titles and servers to play on-line or more discreet prices.
My apologies, when you write such long articles it is common for a misspelling to creep in, and when you know Catalan and Spanish many times you have that doubt in mind whether something is like this or not, I know that it is written «provoke», however in these situations sometimes pass me by, thanks for the "warning" 🙂
And I agree with you in one aspect, higher quality is needed in their titles, but for that to be the case, users must show that there is a gamer market there, if no one uses AppleTV and no one demands games, nor will Apple install more powerful hardware or the big video game companies are going to fixate on this market.
I have a lot of fun reading these things :), you definitely have no idea of the industry.
I celebrate that it amuses you, dreaming is free, and if I am right or not, only time will tell, because Apple is capable of making it real, both financially and with influence.
If you have a valid argument that could knock mine down (even taking into account that I have repeatedly mentioned that it is an opinion piece), you are free to write it, and if you make use of your "industry idea" even better .