iPad Pro vs Nintendo Switch

[MBX]

Hi there

As you have probably seen the Nintendo Switch is a fairly small device and has awesome graphics for such a portable gaming console.

But specs wise isn't the iPad Pro more powerful?

Is it just a matter of dedicated game developers? Could Doom 2016 run on an iPad Pro if they ported it like for the Switch?

 

[madgibbon]

Yes current iOS devices could run Doom just like the Switch. However the Switch does have a cooling fan which prevents throttling. Also another obvious difference is physical controls. I have both an iPad Pro and Switch, using a controller with the iPad is no where near as practical as the Switch. I believe the biggest reason for not porting games like Doom to iOS devices is cost. The average phone/tablet user isn't going to pay £50 for a game. While the Switch has very similar hardware capabilities its marketed as a console which means people will spend £50 on a game.

 

[DoubleFlyaway]

Yes current iOS devices could run Doom just like the Switch. However the Switch does have a cooling fan which prevents throttling. Also another obvious difference is physical controls. I have both an iPad Pro and Switch, using a controller with the iPad is no where near as practical as the Switch. I believe the biggest reason for not porting games like Doom to iOS devices is cost. The average phone/tablet user isn't going to pay £50 for a game. While the Switch has very similar hardware capabilities its marketed as a console which means people will spend £50 on a game.

Though we might see that start to change if Civ 6 on iOS does well.

 

[MBX]

It's what pisses me off: Mobile gaming is stagnating since many years there's no good titles because it seems all the game devs think people wouldn't spend $50+ on A+ titles.

I remember when the iPhone came out and the smartphones took off, everyone said it would revolutionize gaming and dominate even consoles.

What did we get? Only few good titles and mostly stupid casual games with in-app purchases.

 

[spacebro]

I've been wanting to see whats up with a latest fun game. All I have are iPad pro, a wii u, and a pc without a graphics card, (waited for the price to come down but it doubled). What are considered the best iPad pro games? The "top games" section only has simple looking games and minecraft. There should be like a counterstrike port where you aim by moving the iPad.

 

[TechZeke]

iPad Pro is definitely powerful enough, its just that people are not really open to pay premium prices for AAA Titles yet. Also, there needs to be more widespread use iPad gaming controller attachments. Civ 6 works well because it's most a point and click game that doesn't require quick reflexes.

I'm still contemplating getting the Switch with my tax refund coming in a few weeks. I do love the Nintendo IP's, and there is almost zero chance we will get Odyssey or Breath of the Wild on an iPad Pro anytime soon.

 

[bensisko]

Well, I think the money is only PART of the answer.

It’s true, people won’t pay as much for a game on iOS as they would on a console or PC (especially for an older game), but there are other factors. Think of it this way: on the iPad, they have to constantly commit development resources to making sure the game is up-to-date with the latest operating system. It’s true that exists on other platforms (less on the Switch), but there’s a LOT more investment on the PC platform (because there are more users).

I think using iOS as a gaming platform is a more resource-intensive investment with less payoff (no matter the cost of the game).

 

[TheRealAlex]

Well, I think the money is only PART of the answer.

It’s true, people won’t pay as much for a game on iOS as they would on a console or PC (especially for an older game), but there are other factors. Think of it this way: on the iPad, they have to constantly commit development resources to making sure the game is up-to-date with the latest operating system. It’s true that exists on other platforms (less on the Switch), but there’s a LOT more investment on the PC platform (because there are more users).

I think using iOS as a gaming platform is a more resource-intensive investment with less payoff (no matter the cost of the game).

With the Switch Now Dominating developer attention money and resources. Sadly for iPad Pro Gaming which is more than capable of running AAA intense graphics titles. Games will now be Nintendo Switch focused because they can be sold for $59.99 or $39.99 instead of $0.99 or $5.99 on iTunes
So iPad Gaming will suffer.
That being said I’d much rather play Splatoon 2 and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on my Switch than Anygame on my iPad. Except Fruit Ninja And Candy Crush Apple Realized this an is Pushing Towards AR Games which leverage the iPad CPU and GPU and Camera in short fun Games not possible on Switch.
Besides the iPad Wins hands down with Fun Educational Games And Brain Games.

 

[spacebro]

With the Switch Now Dominating developer attention money and resources. Sadly for iPad Pro Gaming which is more than capable of running AAA intense graphics titles. Games will now be Nintendo Switch focused because they can be sold for $59.99 or $39.99 instead of $0.99 or $5.99 on iTunes
So iPad Gaming will suffer.
That being said I’d much rather play Splatoon 2 and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on my Switch than Anygame on my iPad. Except Fruit Ninja And Candy Crush Apple Realized this an is Pushing Towards AR Games which leverage the iPad CPU and GPU and Camera in short fun Games not possible on Switch.
Besides the iPad Wins hands down with Fun Educational Games And Brain Games.

Its weird because iOS users are the most known for being willing to pay for things. Maybe the price problem is more because there are so many low quality and simple games people won't pay $60 if they aren't sure its a big enough game. On consoles they try to make sure all their games are worthy of paying $60 for. World of warships is pretty good and you could easily pay $60 if you get into it, maybe that will be the new model.

 

[kiranmk2]

I've no doubt some people at Apple have thought about a bigger push into gaming, but even with the Switch a roaring success Nintendo is only forcasting a profit of $500m for the year compared to Apple's profit of $2000m for one quarter. Thus I'd bet that Apple doesn't think gaming is going to increase its profits significantly enough to go to the efforts you would need to go to in order to make gaming succesful. As we've discussed previously, you can't half-arse a push into gaming, you need to get standardised components such as controllers out (and attached to a large percentage of the install base) and probably pay for some big exclusives to get anyone to take it seriously. Apple, apparently has decided that a push into Hollywood is a better bet for shorter term profits. It's a shame, because I could see some kind of iPad-Apple TV handover system working really well for gaming in the same way the switch works.

 

[mofunk]

Well before the iPhone you had PDA which had games and you paid anywhere from $5-50 on Games and other Apps. These were put on an SD card and sometimes they didn't work or slowed down the device.

If you are developer you will look at every platform to play your games. If you are talking Nintendo, they are selective to where they want their games played. EA Games added Nintendo to their format now. Its really solely Apple choosing but more of the developers who want their games from the PS4/Xbox and have a mobile version. If its really marketable or not... Those two giants (XBOX and Playstation) are making a killing. The cost of just the DVD itself is pennies.


I remember when Shrek Kart came out for the iPod. It was very similar to Mario Cart. You can't find it anymore in the Apple store. I tried to load it onto my iPhone and since the last update it will no longer load. The developer hasn't upgraded it

 

[macfacts]

Hi there

As you have probably seen the Nintendo Switch is a fairly small device and has awesome graphics for such a portable gaming console.

But specs wise isn't the iPad Pro more powerful?

Is it just a matter of dedicated game developers? Could Doom 2016 run on an iPad Pro if they ported it like for the Switch?

iPad doesn't have a gamepad.
[doublepost=1517896516][/doublepost]

I remember when Shrek Kart came out for the iPod. It was very similar to Mario Cart. You can't find it anymore in the Apple store. I tried to load it onto my iPhone and since the last update it will no longer load. The developer hasn't upgraded it

Try a device with iOS 10.x that support 32bit apps.

 

[CLS727]

Apple should buy Nintendo. Sell ‘joy-con’ type accessories for all size iPads, and feature all Mario games (and their other exclusive content) in the App Store.

Plus all playable through Apple TV os.

I’m 100% serious that would be a perfect move for Apple. They have been so terrible at gaming for so long and that is their perfect niche to take market share from PC, Xbox, PlayStation, etc.

It’s not like Apple doesn’t have plenty of extra cash around!!! Would have been a much better deal for their than Beats by Dre crap.

 

[mr.bee]

It's not a matter of price. People are paying premium prices to Nintendo and will easily switch if something better comes along.

Apple is not focused on the gaming market, not on iOS nor macOS.
Their hardware is also not focused on gaming. You can play on it, but it's not optimised for it, so competitors will always have shinier games.

Occasionally you will see a game promoted on stage but that will always be a limited part of the marketing story.

So as a gaming company you go for the 'it can play games too' or for the 'I want to play games' market?

I kinda wanted Apple to focus on a gaming TV. A special edition with a heavier graphics card, but that's not gonna happen.

 

[thisismyusername]

I have them both. They are two completely different devices with different use cases. The iPad is a general purpose tablet whereas the Switch is a gaming device.

The obvious problem with gaming on an iPad, or any Apple mobile device, is lack of physical buttons. Yes, I know there are 3rd party peripherals but there are a few big problems with having to rely on 3rd party controllers in order to build a gaming market for your device:
1) The quality is almost always less than something that Nintendo/Microsoft/Sony would come up with. The Switch Pro Controller is one of the best controllers I've ever used.
2) They won't be integrated nearly as well as a device that was designed from the ground up to have physical buttons built in. The Switch's detachable joy cons are integrated really well, plus Nintendo gives you the option of using a great 1st party controller.
3) Only a small subset of the market will buy the controllers. Game developers need to cater to the lowest common denominator which means making games designed primarily with garbage touch screen controls. Any support they add for 3rd party peripherals will be an after thought and not done as well if the game was designed just for them.

Yes, the iPad Pro is most likely more powerful, has a much better screen, etc. However, I can't think of a single iPad game I'd rather play over any one of my Switch games... and I only have 5 games for it. Gaming is simply a better experience on the Switch. I have no problem with having to buy Nintendo hardware to play Nintendo games.

It's the same reason why the AppleTV will never replace a gaming console. It doesn't come with a real gaming controller. Thus, the perception is it's just a streaming box that plays iOS games. It could have an i7 and a GTX 1080ti inside it and that perception wouldn't change.

The only way to get the big name developers to make real games (i.e. not watered down mobile ports) for your devices is to sell a device that's first and foremost a gaming device that is designed for gamers and Apple will never do that.

 

[mofunk]

iPad doesn't have a gamepad.
[doublepost=1517896516][/doublepost]

Try a device with iOS 10.x that support 32bit apps.

I tried with my older iPod and it just crashes.

 

[TwiceNightly]

Would an iPad Pro with a keyboard cover be any good for gaming? Can you use any of the keyboard keys for controls on any games?

 

[JagdTiger]

Hi there

As you have probably seen the Nintendo Switch is a fairly small device and has awesome graphics for such a portable gaming console.

But specs wise isn't the iPad Pro more powerful?

Is it just a matter of dedicated game developers? Could Doom 2016 run on an iPad Pro if they ported it like for the Switch?

Yes, because tech wise it has more processing than a switch, civilization 6, pug, fortnite, ark, elder scrolls and fall out 76 is being made for it.

Just if some company would produce a silicon cover so a certain controller attached to a iPad would have some protection and shielding from the elements, this would be fine...https://gamevice.com/collections/mobile-console-gaming

 

[deckard666]

I have a new iPad and a Switch - know how many games I play on my iPad - zero - absolutely hate touchscreen controls for anything resembling arcade game play and never got it when the haters said Apple should buy Nintendo back in the day when the Wii U was doing poorly - How can you possibly play Mario Kart or Splatoon or Odyssey with touch controls ? It is comparing apples and oranges though to be honest as both do what they were designed to do with aplomb.

 

[CLS727]

I have a new iPad and a Switch - know how many games I play on my iPad - zero - absolutely hate touchscreen controls for anything resembling arcade game play and never got it when the haters said Apple should buy Nintendo back in the day when the Wii U was doing poorly - How can you possibly play Mario Kart or Splatoon or Odyssey with touch controls ? It is comparing apples and oranges though to be honest as both do what they were designed to do with aplomb.

By selling tactile controllers that attach to the iPad, just like a Switch. Or separate wireless controller. Simple.

 

[JagdTiger]

I have a new iPad and a Switch - know how many games I play on my iPad - zero - absolutely hate touchscreen controls for anything resembling arcade game play and never got it when the haters said Apple should buy Nintendo back in the day when the Wii U was doing poorly - How can you possibly play Mario Kart or Splatoon or Odyssey with touch controls ? It is comparing apples and oranges though to be honest as both do what they were designed to do with aplomb.

You can play it with this.

https://gamevice.com/collections/mobile-console-gaming

 

[deckard666]

Yeah those one pound games are really going to rock with a third party controller...look I know I’m being negative but Apple and games just don’t go well...look at my latest gen Apple TV for further confirmation too that they just aren’t bothered. They tried to say use the remote or an iPhone as a controller FFS.

 

[kasakka]

I have them both. They are two completely different devices with different use cases. The iPad is a general purpose tablet whereas the Switch is a gaming device.

The obvious problem with gaming on an iPad, or any Apple mobile device, is lack of physical buttons. Yes, I know there are 3rd party peripherals but there are a few big problems with having to rely on 3rd party controllers in order to build a gaming market for your device:
1) The quality is almost always less than something that Nintendo/Microsoft/Sony would come up with. The Switch Pro Controller is one of the best controllers I've ever used.
2) They won't be integrated nearly as well as a device that was designed from the ground up to have physical buttons built in. The Switch's detachable joy cons are integrated really well, plus Nintendo gives you the option of using a great 1st party controller.
3) Only a small subset of the market will buy the controllers. Game developers need to cater to the lowest common denominator which means making games designed primarily with garbage touch screen controls. Any support they add for 3rd party peripherals will be an after thought and not done as well if the game was designed just for them.

Yes, the iPad Pro is most likely more powerful, has a much better screen, etc. However, I can't think of a single iPad game I'd rather play over any one of my Switch games... and I only have 5 games for it. Gaming is simply a better experience on the Switch. I have no problem with having to buy Nintendo hardware to play Nintendo games.

It's the same reason why the AppleTV will never replace a gaming console. It doesn't come with a real gaming controller. Thus, the perception is it's just a streaming box that plays iOS games. It could have an i7 and a GTX 1080ti inside it and that perception wouldn't change.

The only way to get the big name developers to make real games (i.e. not watered down mobile ports) for your devices is to sell a device that's first and foremost a gaming device that is designed for gamers and Apple will never do that.

This is spot on. If Apple were to release an official game controller that is as good as the Joycons or Switch Pro Controller, game developers would add support for it. Now we have a lot of different game controllers that have varying if any support that varies from game to game. Without an official or approved game controller, every iOS game has to be designed with touch input in mind and this is a huge compromise in a ton of games.

 

[robertpetry]

Apple should buy Nintendo. Sell ‘joy-con’ type accessories for all size iPads, and feature all Mario games (and their other exclusive content) in the App Store.

Plus all playable through Apple TV os.

I’m 100% serious that would be a perfect move for Apple. They have been so terrible at gaming for so long and that is their perfect niche to take market share from PC, Xbox, PlayStation, etc.

It’s not like Apple doesn’t have plenty of extra cash around!!! Would have been a much better deal for their than Beats by Dre crap.

I wrote this in the forum three years ago when Nintendo stock was half the price. Think of all the intellectual property that Nintendo has. What a great fit.

 

[TheRealAlex]

Hi there

As you have probably seen the Nintendo Switch is a fairly small device and has awesome graphics for such a portable gaming console.

But specs wise isn't the iPad Pro more powerful?

Is it just a matter of dedicated game developers? Could Doom 2016 run on an iPad Pro if they ported it like for the Switch?

It is but then you would get the average 2 hour Switch battery life running intense games and Lets see how Bad things would look running graphics at 720p on an iPad Pro Display.

Heck the Switch has a built in Fan to push out heat.