Apple TV as a gaming solution.

[andyw715]

I'll preface this with "I don't know much about the current landscape of gaming consoles"

Is Apple TV a viable gaming platform?

My daughter's (7and 9yo) Wii has died (lightning). But they aren't heavy gamers - Wii Sports, dancing game, some princess stuff.

They want Disney Infinity for Christmas.

So I thought about a Wii U as a replacement. But , then I noticed Disney infinity for AppleTV.

I have a 2nd gen Apple TV currently. So I'd like to update esp in light of Amazon Prime app news.

Is there a decent selection of kids games currently available?

If so, 32 or 64 GB?

Thanks.

 

[Snoopy4]

It has less resolution than a wii. Think phone app type games on a big screen.

 

[D.T.]

I'll preface this with "I don't know much about the current landscape of gaming consoles"

Is Apple TV a viable gaming platform?

My daughter's (7and 9yo) Wii has died (lightning). But they aren't heavy gamers - Wii Sports, dancing game, some princess stuff.

They want Disney Infinity for Christmas.

So I thought about a Wii U as a replacement. But , then I noticed Disney infinity for AppleTV.

I have a 2nd gen Apple TV currently. So I'd like to update esp in light of Amazon Prime app news.

Is there a decent selection of kids games currently available?

If so, 32 or 64 GB?

Thanks.

First, Disney Infinity is very cool. We're on version 2.0, about 20 or so figures and misc playsets/powerdiscs/etc., my little G is currently playing it on an Xbox 360. The figures and anything they accomplish (saves, game status) is actually platform independent, so even if they have friends using a different console, they can use their physical game pieces. It's got neat sandboxed adventures, small quests, building modes, free form exploration, lots of different modes and it seems easy to pickup even for younger kids.

Figures come with an iOS code card to play on iOS devices, but it's like a scaled down version, that doesn't incorporate the physical components. It's decent, it looks great, but it's not the whole experience. Now with the Apple TV 4th Gen having the full game: the main platform (connects via USB), figures, and based on how nicely the "lite" version looks on iOS, I'd expect the ATV4 version to look pretty solid. It's A8 powered, decent GPU, and I'm sure it's close the either of the previous gen consoles (PS3/X360) in terms of graphic fidelity.

The Wii-U is 1080, the ATV4 is 1080, I haven't seen a total break down of poly/shader performance, but like I pointed out above, if it's as good as the previous gen consoles, that's very good and very fun.

When we first bought it, we didn't have a Wii-U, only a Wii, and the X360/PS3 versions were substantially better (graphically, features, networking). Now that we're ready to upgrade to 3.0, I _might_ switch platforms because I read that the Wii-U version uses the GamePad in interesting ways.

You also have to keep in mind the Wii-U has fun games like Mario Kart, that is a blast and family friendly. Same goes for most of the 1st party titles. The Wii-U also has streaming apps like Netflix and they work, well, as well as you'd expect

The ATV4 is going to give you more streaming options, of course services like i-Tunes that aren't available on other consoles, it's a _little_ cheaper.

 

[Che Castro]

As long as you get a MFI controller the Apple TV is a good small gaming console for casual gamers/kids
And you can let them play retro games
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/atv4-how-to-play-classic-nintendo-and-sega-games.1933938/

And get the 64gb if this is going to be for gaming and you plan to keep this for years

 

[OriginalClone]

I'll preface this with "I don't know much about the current landscape of gaming consoles"

Is Apple TV a viable gaming platform?

My daughter's (7and 9yo) Wii has died (lightning). But they aren't heavy gamers - Wii Sports, dancing game, some princess stuff.

They want Disney Infinity for Christmas.

So I thought about a Wii U as a replacement. But , then I noticed Disney infinity for AppleTV.

I have a 2nd gen Apple TV currently. So I'd like to update esp in light of Amazon Prime app news.

Is there a decent selection of kids games currently available?

If so, 32 or 64 GB?

Thanks.

I'm sure it will be an great alternative option in the future, but it's currently lacking. I would just get them the Wii U or XBox One w/ Kinect.

 

[ErikGrim]

It has less resolution than a wii. Think phone app type games on a big screen.

It has exactly the same resolution as a Wii U.

 

[ErikGrim]

For us gaming is pretty much 50% of what we use it for. We got two Nimbus Steel Series controllers and we use it to play Beach Buggy Racing (Mario Kart basically), Asphalt 8, Alto's Adventure, Rayman Adventures, Trivia Night, Sketch Party TV (pictionary with TV and remote), Lumino City, Calvino Noir etc. Oh, and emulating the full SNES, NES, Sega and Arcade libraries.

There's already a huge range of games ranging from casual to deep console quality ones.

 

[ipedro]

I have a WiiU and an AppleTV. I use my AppleTV everyday, including for games and can't remember the last time I turned on my WiiU.

It needs to mature but I can see AppleTV quickly becoming a reliable alternative to gaming consoles for everybody but the most hard hardcore gamer who wants near photo realistic games only available on dedicated consoles.

There are already some pretty good games, many of which replace the party games I have gotten for WiiU. When my friends come over, some of those games allow them to use their own iPhones as controllers.

While I'd miss the Nintendo classics if I got rid of my WiiU, it seems that there's currently a solution to that through side loaded emulators.

Given their age, if you got a couple of Nimbus controllers for your daughters, they'd be perfectly happy with Disney Infinity and a bunch of casual games and cartoon apps on the app store to entertain them while developers plan big releases around WWDC in the Summer. You'll have the added benefit of whatever games you buy working on your iPad to entertain them on road trips.

 

[charlituna]

I'll preface this with "I don't know much about the current landscape of gaming consoles"

Is Apple TV a viable gaming platform?


Thanks.

if your idea of gaming is an Xbox or PS 4 heck no. If it's Nintendo, which it sounds like it is, you should be fine

 

[charlituna]

As long as you get a MFI controller the Apple TV is a good small gaming console for casual gamers/kids
And you can let them play retro games
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/atv4-how-to-play-classic-nintendo-and-sega-games.1933938/

they mentioned Disney Infinity which comes with a Nimbus. Another one is about $50 so that won't be too crazy

 

[andyw715]

Cool thx all. Selfishly I'd rather get an updated Apple TV as I use the current 2nd gen quite a bit. So the gaming angle is a plus without having to get another device.

 

[Snoopy4]

It has exactly the same resolution as a Wii U.

If you say so. Having resolution and being able to use it in a capped file size environment isn't the same. LOLs

http://www.techinsider.io/apple-tv-is-a-bad-nintendo-wii-2015-9

 

[Snoopy4]

Cool thx all. Selfishly I'd rather get an updated Apple TV as I use the current 2nd gen quite a bit. So the gaming angle is a plus without having to get another device.

I'm really on the fence with getting an XBox or Playstation. At least then I can access higher quality games and content outside of Apples span of control. When I was an Apple fan boy way back before the internet, I had a prof tell me that Apple was for people who don't have to actually do work and are content to be told what they can and can't do on a computer. The more involved I've become in using the Apple Ecosystem, the more right he looks. Apple is holding out the Apple enough for us to bite with solid products, but they (as they have in the past) continue to fall short of being able to accommodate everyone the way more open companies do. I thought for a time they had turned the corner, but I don't think its in Tim Cooks DNA. Fool me twice, shame on me.

 

[ipedro]

It has less resolution than a wii. Think phone app type games on a big screen.

If you say so. Having resolution and being able to use it in a capped file size environment isn't the same. LOLs

http://www.techinsider.io/apple-tv-is-a-bad-nintendo-wii-2015-9

That article is so packed with inaccuracies and you don't understand what resolution is.

WiiU 1080p
AppleTV 1080p

The same resolution.

The article says that tvOS apps/games can't use more than 200MB local storage. Wrong. It even goes so far as to suggest that with that alleged limitation, it won't be able to run games like Guitar Hero. Hum... this game?

Then it goes on to criticize the remote without realizing how it'll be used in games, even showing it turned the wrong way to prove its misguided point.

What a terrible article.

AppleTV isn't a dedicated console and it doesn't have Nintendo's library of games but what it does have is a huge community of developers and a platform for them to get creative and build games that we haven't seen yet. Just as the App Store and the iPhone/iPod Touch displaced mobile consoles, there's the potential for AppleTV to do the same with home consoles.

 

[andyw715]

If you say so. Having resolution and being able to use it in a capped file size environment isn't the same. LOLs

http://www.techinsider.io/apple-tv-is-a-bad-nintendo-wii-2015-9

I stopped reading after the authors caveat of not actually using the device.

 

[TrueBlou]

I've read some utter tosh in my time but that article is high up on the list of authors who need a good hard slap.

He really hasn't got a clue. Doesn't understand the strengths and weaknesses of the platform. Hasn't got a clue how the controller can be implemented (or for that matter what buttons it even uses.) I could go on, but basically, it's badly written, badly if at all researched, nonsense.

Anyway, that out of the way, the Apple TV isn't really a replacement for any of the main consoles if you're serious about gaming. But it's a great addition to them and it will keep getting stronger as a platform.

If you're gaming needs are less demanding and wouldn't really justify something like a PlayStation 4, or the others, then there's a lot to like about the Apple TV.
Honestly I've found myself playing on it far more than I thought I would. When I got my dev kit a while back, I even delayed my upcoming game to get it up and running on the Apple TV so much was I impressed by it.

One thing it's unlikely to have is a shortage of games. It's a great device to work with and that goes a long way in convincing developers to port their work to it.

 

[D.T.]

That article is so packed with inaccuracies and you don't understand what resolution is.

WiiU 1080p
AppleTV 1080p

The same resolution.

The article says that tvOS apps/games can't use more than 200MB local storage. Wrong. It even goes so far as to suggest that with that alleged limitation, it won't be able to run games like Guitar Hero. Hum... this game?

Then it goes on to criticize the remote without realizing how it'll be used in games, even showing it turned the wrong way to prove its misguided point.

What a terrible article.

AppleTV isn't a dedicated console and it doesn't have Nintendo's library of games but what it does have is a huge community of developers and a platform for them to get creative and build games that we haven't seen yet. Just as the App Store and the iPhone/iPod Touch displaced mobile consoles, there's the potential for AppleTV to do the same with home consoles.

Yep, additionally from Touch Arcade:

Apparently the 200 MB download size is just an up front download size restriction, and apps can then download assets after launch. This experience actually is similar to many Android games, where there's an initial download and then a data pack download along with the file. But this is seemingly related to the App Thinning and On-Demand Resources that is coming to iOS 9, as we explained here.

 

[ErikGrim]

If you say so. Having resolution and being able to use it in a capped file size environment isn't the same. LOLs

http://www.techinsider.io/apple-tv-is-a-bad-nintendo-wii-2015-9

That is probably the dumbest article I have ever read.

[Talking about on-demand resources]Not so much if you're making "Guitar Hero" for Apple TV.

Not sure if he could have picked a worse example, as Guitar Hero, the very same full console game as anywhere else, works wonderfully on the Apple TV. On demand resources (not capped at all) are transparent and quick, and not a real world concern any more than plastic disc loading screens are.

 

[Snoopy4]

That article is so packed with inaccuracies and you don't understand what resolution is.

WiiU 1080p
AppleTV 1080p

The same resolution.

The article says that tvOS apps/games can't use more than 200MB local storage. Wrong. It even goes so far as to suggest that with that alleged limitation, it won't be able to run games like Guitar Hero. Hum... this game?

Then it goes on to criticize the remote without realizing how it'll be used in games, even showing it turned the wrong way to prove its misguided point.

What a terrible article.

AppleTV isn't a dedicated console and it doesn't have Nintendo's library of games but what it does have is a huge community of developers and a platform for them to get creative and build games that we haven't seen yet. Just as the App Store and the iPhone/iPod Touch displaced mobile consoles, there's the potential for AppleTV to do the same with home consoles.

You think these games are 1080p? Seriously? Learn the difference between device specs and content specs.

 

[Snoopy4]

I stopped reading after the authors caveat of not actually using the device.

Bits are bits.

That is probably the dumbest article I have ever read.



Not sure if he could have picked a worse example, as Guitar Hero, the very same full console game as anywhere else, works wonderfully on the Apple TV. On demand resources (not capped at all) are transparent and quick, and not a real world concern any more than plastic disc loading screens are.

Suggesting the gaming capability of ATV is anymore than a novelty is the dumbest thing I've ever read.

 

[T5BRICK]

You think these games are 1080p? Seriously? Learn the difference between device specs and content specs.

The Apple TV is outputting a 1080p resolution to my TV. Hell, my iPhone 6+ has a 1080p display.

I'm not convinced you understand what resolution is either.

 

[ctyrider]

You think these games are 1080p? Seriously? Learn the difference between device specs and content specs.

The asset resolution of tvOS games is whatever developer decides to make it. In the early crop of ATV4 games - most developers are just re-using assets from iPhone 6/6plus optimized games, but even those support resolutions all the way up to 1080p.

Some of the tvOS games I have tried on ATV4 look quite good, others less so. In either case - it has nothing to do with ATV4 capabilities as a device, and everything to do with the games themselves. ATV4 with A8 has enough horsepower to drive fairly high end games, and it should have no trouble giving gaming consoles a run for their money.

Whether developers decide to invest in putting out high quality games for ATV4 is a whole another question, and it depends on people being wiling to spend more than $2.99 on these games.

 

[ErikGrim]

You think these games are 1080p? Seriously? Learn the difference between device specs and content specs.

Yes, every one of these games are 1080p. There is no upscaling. 1080p is LOWER resolution than the native retina resolution they run at on an iPad. The Apple TV and A8X is more than capable of running even demanding games at this resolution.

Heck, you could play RR2 at 1080p on your TV five years ago.

Maybe you should just keep that hubris in check for a bit, huh?

 

[Snoopy4]

I'm not convinced you understand what resolution is either.

When you stick a DVD into a BD player, the content is still 480p. Doesn't matter how much lipstick your BD player tries to put on it, it's still a pig.

Do you now understand it?

Whether developers decide to invest in putting out high quality games for ATV4 is a whole another question, and it depends on people being wiling to spend more than $2.99 on these games.

None of them are going to be even remotely close to what you can get with a dedicated box, not even maybe.

Yes, every one of these games are 1080p. There is no upscaling. 1080p is LOWER resolution than the native retina resolution they run at on an iPad. The Apple TV and A8X is more than capable of running even demanding games at this resolution.

Heck, you could play RR2 at 1080p on your TV five years ago.

Maybe you should just keep that hubris in check for a bit, huh?

Thank you for sharing that you don't understand the issue of content vs. hardware outputs.

 

[T5BRICK]

When you stick a DVD into a BD player, the content is still 480p. Doesn't matter how much lipstick your BD player tries to put on it, it's still a pig.

Do you now understand it?

And you have evidence that the Apple TV is taking non 1080P content and up-scaling it?