Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
iPad mini What games would lag on iPad mini?
- Thread starter ZacT94
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Well if you are playing casual game like angry birds, temple run, cut the rope etc there won't be much lag at all. Probably none. The mini has the same geek bench score as the ipad 3 so it would struggle like the 3 did on high end games usually with 3D worlds and are over a GB in size. Some examples are infinity blade 1&2, nova 3, batman, bastion (a fantastic ios game - it's an Xbox 360 game ported over), asphalt 7, NSFmw, GTA, definitely MC3&4 (regarded as the best graphics and demanding mobile games ever). I could list more but you get the gist. These games have near console quality graphics. What developers sometimes do (on nova 3 and especially mc4) is they lower the FPS for some devices and reduce effects like flames and smoke to keep the FPS steady. MC4 has a great physics engine and some amazing effects which are only experienced on the ipad 4 and iPhone 5. No android devices at all and nothing before the i5 and ipad 4. Gameloft makes most of the highly regarded high end games on ios and have said "Gameloft automatically sets how many effects can your telephone support without being very laggy. If you want many effects, prepare for a full-lagging game." It really depends what games you want to play, most games won't perform too differently on the mini and the 4 but high end games will have quite a noticeable difference and will lag at times if effects are not reduced by developers. I hope I helped
Well if you are playing casual game like angry birds, temple run, cut the rope etc there won't be much lag at all. Probably none. The mini has the same geek bench score as the ipad 3 so it would struggle like the 3 did on high end games usually with 3D worlds and are over a GB in size. Some examples are infinity blade 1&2, nova 3, batman, bastion (a fantastic ios game - it's an Xbox 360 game ported over), asphalt 7, NSFmw, GTA, definitely MC3&4 (regarded as the best graphics and demanding mobile games ever). I could list more but you get the gist. These games have near console quality graphics. What developers sometimes do (on nova 3 and especially mc4) is they lower the FPS for some devices and reduce effects like flames and smoke to keep the FPS steady. MC4 has a great physics engine and some amazing effects which are only experienced on the ipad 4 and iPhone 5. No android devices at all and nothing before the i5 and ipad 4. Gameloft makes most of the highly regarded high end games on ios and have said "Gameloft automatically sets how many effects can your telephone support without being very laggy. If you want many effects, prepare for a full-lagging game." It really depends what games you want to play, most games won't perform too differently on the mini and the 4 but high end games will have quite a noticeable difference and will lag at times if effects are not reduced by developers. I hope I helped
I do play a few games that can be GPU intensive, e.g. Asphalt 7, Asphalt 6, Real Racing 2, NFSMW. Thanks for clearing that up.
Well, technically none should. They should adjust the level of detail to function properly on the device you are using, or otherwise they wouldn't be available on your device. Infinity Blade runs fine on a mini.
It's runs at a lower FPS, that's why it runs fine
I don't think that's the case, but even if it is, it looks and runs great. No lag. So? The whole point is that apps are designed to run on the hardware. This ain't PC World anymore.
Computationally it's as powerful as iPad 2, so whatever runs on that will ipad mini. iPad 3 has same geek bench as it only benches he CPU, ipad3 has the quad core gfx over the iPad 2/mini.
Actually, in terms of graphical ability at the device's native resolution, the iPad 2 outperforms the iPad 3 (meaning a 1024x768 game on the iPad 2 runs more smoothly than a 2048x1536 game on the iPad 3, but it's only really noticeable when thr gpu is really pushed to its limits), though the iPad 4 significantly passes both of those.
I wish the n64 emulator would get optimized for the iPad 4, that'd be beautiful.
Exactly, iPad 3 has a quad core GPU, but it also has to handle 4x the resolution of the iPad Mini/iPad 2.
More or less the iPad 3 is an iPad 2 heavier, hotter but with an higher resolution display.
This is why Apple discontinued it and kept the iPad 2 as 9,7 inches entry level iPad.
More or less the iPad 3 is an iPad 2 heavier, hotter but with an higher resolution display.
This is why Apple discontinued it and kept the iPad 2 as 9,7 inches entry level iPad.
It does at least according to the tests i have seen on youtube of infinity blade comparisons on different iOS devices. Its actually quite interesting what they did with infinity blade, i think A5 devices' run at 20 FPS while A6 ones runs at 30. If you like i could send you a link to the video. btw love that last sentence "This ain't a PC world anymore" QFT
I find Youtube reviews fascinating. Even more fascinating is actually playing the game. Infinity Blade is my favorite game. Spent hours on it on the iPad 2, 3 and now the Mini. Looks and plays just as gorgeous on all three. 20fps, 30fps, whatever. The game looks and plays great.
Well if you are playing casual game like angry birds, temple run, cut the rope etc there won't be much lag at all. Probably none. The mini has the same geek bench score as the ipad 3 so it would struggle like the 3 did on high end games usually with 3D worlds and are over a GB in size. Some examples are infinity blade 1&2, nova 3, batman, bastion (a fantastic ios game - it's an Xbox 360 game ported over), asphalt 7, NSFmw, GTA, definitely MC3&4 (regarded as the best graphics and demanding mobile games ever). I could list more but you get the gist. These games have near console quality graphics. What developers sometimes do (on nova 3 and especially mc4) is they lower the FPS for some devices and reduce effects like flames and smoke to keep the FPS steady. MC4 has a great physics engine and some amazing effects which are only experienced on the ipad 4 and iPhone 5. No android devices at all and nothing before the i5 and ipad 4. Gameloft makes most of the highly regarded high end games on ios and have said "Gameloft automatically sets how many effects can your telephone support without being very laggy. If you want many effects, prepare for a full-lagging game." It really depends what games you want to play, most games won't perform too differently on the mini and the 4 but high end games will have quite a noticeable difference and will lag at times if effects are not reduced by developers. I hope I helped
I've played every game in your list...on the mini and on the iPad 4 (we've got both). There isn't any difference in performance at all. Zero! The iPad 4 in some cases launches the game quicker...but plays no differently. Nor any difference in comparison to my iPhone 5. I'm not sure where these graphic differences are that you're speaking of. Keep in mind, all of the games you've named were developed for and tested on A5 iOS devices, as the A6 didn't exist for developers until October and November. Just as the rest of the public received theirs.
A game like MW4 or GTA...Asphalt 7 or even the Final Fantasy ports...these take a long time to develop....a year? Maybe longer? They're optimized for the current crop of iOS devices. Including the iPad 2/3 and Mini as well as the iPhone 4/4s. Games that will eventually bring out the best of the A6 processors are on the horizon...but they don't exist right now. Developers at this time would be very foolish to release 'laggy' or games that suffered performance issues on the A5 platform...as THAT is where the majority of profit is.
BTW--the mini is an absolutely perfect iPad for gaming
. Amazing...the weight, form factor, 'speed'...and a host of available games to choose from....you'll dig it!J
I've played every game in your list...on the mini and on the iPad 4 (we've got both). There isn't any difference in performance at all. Zero! The iPad 4 in some cases launches the game quicker...but plays no differently. Nor any difference in comparison to my iPhone 5. I'm not sure where these graphic differences are that you're speaking of. Keep in mind, all of the games you've named were developed for and tested on A5 iOS devices, as the A6 didn't exist for developers until October and November. Just as the rest of the public received theirs.
A game like MW4 or GTA...Asphalt 7 or even the Final Fantasy ports...these take a long time to develop....a year? Maybe longer? They're optimized for the current crop of iOS devices. Including the iPad 2/3 and Mini as well as the iPhone 4/4s. Games that will eventually bring out the best of the A6 processors are on the horizon...but they don't exist right now. Developers at this time would be very foolish to release 'laggy' or games that suffered performance issues on the A5 platform...as THAT is where the majority of profit is.
BTW--the mini is an absolutely perfect iPad for gaming
J
The other issue is that the mini is very overpriced here in Australia. The model I'm considering (32GB WiFi + 4G) costs $619AU ($650US) here. The same model iPad 4 costs only $170AU more, so should I just spend the extra and go full sized iPad?
I live in Australia as well
And ye i think the extra 170 is worth it imo.----------
Agreed, its a beautiful looking game and the gameplay is great. Im currently on 20 hours played in Infinity Blade 2 and still going
As i said before the majority of developers lowered the FPS and did not include many affects on the retina versions of the game to have no lag. Nova 3 made for the ipad3 and iPhone 4S actually has many of the effects such as fire in buildings, not available on the ipad 3 because it couldnt handle without lag, retina+detailed effects. I believe there is an option to choose low res with effects or high res without effects on the android version. And yes MC4 is targeted solely at A6/X devices, every single other device except for the ipad 4 and iphone 5 don't have the full experience. They have reduced the frame rate for A5 devices and have in some devices such as the nexus 4 made the physics engine non existent. "Games that will eventually bring out the best of the A6 processors are on the horizon...but they don't exist right now." They do exist right now and MC4 is just one example. Batman does not have rain or thunder in the ipad mini and has been updated to have these on the 4 and i5. As you said, "Developers at this time would be very foolish to release 'laggy' or games that suffered performance issues on the A5 platform", this is true and why all these games that i mentioned might only drop a few frames very occasionally as i experienced travelling 500km/h on asphalt 7 and playing nova 3 online on my iPhone 4S that i used to have. This is because they are very smart and don't want performance issues so they take the required steps for the consumer to have a lag free experience while compromising the FPS and effects. MC4 is actually being criticised for the lag being experienced on the iPad3. Gameloft is speculated to be in the process of further reducing the frame rate of MC4 for the A5 devices due to the complaints of lag. The mini is a great device for gaming because of the form factor (light, thin etc) but people who want the best of mobile gaming will want the ipad 4 for its increased power and retina display which imo is a very big thing especially for high end games. Real racing 3 and Nova 4 which will come out shortly are also targeted at the A6 devices so for future proofing (if you want to play on those games) the ipad4 would be the best bet.I've played every game in your list...on the mini and on the iPad 4 (we've got both). There isn't any difference in performance at all. Zero! The iPad 4 in some cases launches the game quicker...but plays no differently. Nor any difference in comparison to my iPhone 5. I'm not sure where these graphic differences are that you're speaking of. Keep in mind, all of the games you've named were developed for and tested on A5 iOS devices, as the A6 didn't exist for developers until October and November. Just as the rest of the public received theirs.
A game like MW4 or GTA...Asphalt 7 or even the Final Fantasy ports...these take a long time to develop....a year? Maybe longer? They're optimized for the current crop of iOS devices. Including the iPad 2/3 and Mini as well as the iPhone 4/4s. Games that will eventually bring out the best of the A6 processors are on the horizon...but they don't exist right now. Developers at this time would be very foolish to release 'laggy' or games that suffered performance issues on the A5 platform...as THAT is where the majority of profit is.
BTW--the mini is an absolutely perfect iPad for gaming
J
If it was me, I wouldn't be able to let my full size iPad go. Between the iPad 4 & the mini, if I had to let one or the other go--I would keep the '4'
If you can swing that extra 170-the full size iPad is an extremely formidable computing device.
J
If you can swing that extra 170-the full size iPad is an extremely formidable computing device.
J
Ok so I should get the 4 then. Should I get a Smart Case to go with it or should I just get the smart cover?
S
syd430
Guest
Forget the smart case, the sharp lip is a real annoyance.
Grab a leather smart cover (well worth it over the polyurethane covers), and that way you can prop it up however you want or just rip it off when you want to hold it (i don't recommend folding it back, i find its better to just rip it off)
If you want to take it out and are worried about back, just put the whole thing in a sleeve (incl with the smart cover attached) and pull it out whenever you need to use it. Dont bother with attaching a plastic back plate. It kills the ergonomics just like the smart cover.
After using the ipad 2,3,4 daily for a few years now, i found this system works best (YMMV of coarse).
Well if you are playing casual game like angry birds, temple run, cut the rope etc there won't be much lag at all. Probably none. The mini has the same geek bench score as the ipad 3 so it would struggle like the 3 did on high end games usually with 3D worlds and are over a GB in size. Some examples are infinity blade 1&2, nova 3, batman, bastion (a fantastic ios game - it's an Xbox 360 game ported over), asphalt 7, NSFmw, GTA, definitely MC3&4 (regarded as the best graphics and demanding mobile games ever). I could list more but you get the gist. These games have near console quality graphics. What developers sometimes do (on nova 3 and especially mc4) is they lower the FPS for some devices and reduce effects like flames and smoke to keep the FPS steady. MC4 has a great physics engine and some amazing effects which are only experienced on the ipad 4 and iPhone 5. No android devices at all and nothing before the i5 and ipad 4. Gameloft makes most of the highly regarded high end games on ios and have said "Gameloft automatically sets how many effects can your telephone support without being very laggy. If you want many effects, prepare for a full-lagging game." It really depends what games you want to play, most games won't perform too differently on the mini and the 4 but high end games will have quite a noticeable difference and will lag at times if effects are not reduced by developers. I hope I helped
I have some of those games you mentioned e.g Asphalt 7, TDKR and NFS but can safely say I have not experienced lag issues when playing on my iPad 3
No games lag on the Mini.
The iPad 4 is a much more powerful tablet sure, but all games are designed to work perfectly on the A5, A5X and A6X chips.
Infinity Blade 2? No lag
Bastion? No lag
Real Racing 2? No lag
GTA Vice City? No lag
Going forward, games will begin to emerge that exclusively require more powerful chips than the A5, but not today.
Today, the iPad Mini can play all the games in the app store with zero lag.
The iPad 4 is a much more powerful tablet sure, but all games are designed to work perfectly on the A5, A5X and A6X chips.
Infinity Blade 2? No lag
Bastion? No lag
Real Racing 2? No lag
GTA Vice City? No lag
Going forward, games will begin to emerge that exclusively require more powerful chips than the A5, but not today.
Today, the iPad Mini can play all the games in the app store with zero lag.
That was prior to the updated patch. Simply the game was reading the wrong ID identifier - this has been rectified and the game is as smooth as butter now.
As I have said many times now, "What developers sometimes do (on nova 3 and especially mc4) is they lower the FPS for some devices and reduce effects like flames and smoke to keep the FPS steady. MC4 has a great physics engine and some amazing effects which are only experienced on the ipad 4 and iPhone 5. No android devices at all and nothing before the i5 and ipad 4." This goes for the majority oh high end games, I guess I should have replaced sometimes with most of the time. Infinity blade 2 has a much lowered FPS on the mini to have a smooth game.
I have some of those games you mentioned e.g Asphalt 7, TDKR and NFS but can safely say I have not experienced lag issues when playing on my iPad 3
What developers do (on nova 3 and especially mc4) is they lower the FPS for some devices and reduce effects like flames and smoke to keep the FPS steady. MC4 has a great physics engine and some amazing effects which are only experienced on the ipad 4 and iPhone 5. No android devices at all and nothing before the i5 and ipad 4. The reason you haven't experienced lag is because they optimise and compromise the game for the chip you are playing on. The best experience is by far on the ipad 4 as you experience the highest FPS and have all the effects.