In the last few years, Apple has continued to subtly but consistently strengthen the capabilities of its various mobile and computing devices to natively support a wide array of video games and accessories outside its own ecosystem, which would have been unthinkable a few years ago.Īpple devices now provide native support for Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch controllers, in addition to virtually any Bluetooth controller, for a more traditional way of playing games and generally interfacing with its devices. The best games for Apple TV on the App StoreĪpple’s current relationship with video games.The best Apple Arcade games to play on Apple TV.Apple’s current relationship with video games.The answer, of course, is play some video games.

Equipped with an A15 Bionic Chip, it’s got the same 64-bit, six-core CPU that powers the iPhone 13 and 14 – but my first question after hearing that was, ‘but what else am I going to do with this thing other than watch some TV?’ Of course, it’s a much more powerful unit. Image: Appleĭespite being 10 years and four hardware generations more advanced than the Apple TV I was used to, the Apple TV 4K seemed like it was virtually the same little black box I had known. What I wasn’t anticipating was how shockingly slow and unresponsive the Smart TV’s interface was to navigate and load apps, compared to the dedicated mini-computer the Apple TV was. What’s more, the user interface showcases advertisements on the home screen – can you believe it? The experience is serviceable enough, of course, but it pales in comparison to the zippy set-top box experience I was used to. So, I said farewell to the Apple TV, and the Chromecast I also owned for some reason, and looked forward to a streamlined, ultra-high-definition TV-watching future. Smart TVs were at this point well and truly tried, tested, and in vogue, and my new TV could do everything my old set-top box could do.

A decade later, I finally upgraded that plasma TV to something far more contemporary – 4K, HDR, high refresh rates, the lot – and of course, it was smart. It was a third-generation Apple TV that enabled my 1080p plasma screen (which always ran way too hot) to access Netflix and other video streaming services. In the early 2010s, like many people, I owned a set-top box.

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