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Will console level games come to iPad Pro?

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whitedragon101

macrumors 65816
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Sep 11, 2008
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The iPad Pro is getting seriously powerful and will get even more so this year. Unreal Engine and Unity already work with metal natively meaning that porting PC/ Console games to IOS would be straightforward. Just hook in a Bluetooth controller and you’re good to go.

After seeing the Witness Ported in its entirety to IOS running just fine on an iPhone 6s and Playerunkown battlegrounds ported to IOS and running again on an iPhone 6s. I wonder just what would be possible on an iPad Pro. Could we see proper console level games ported to IOS?

(I really really want a port of Witcher 3 to IOS ;) )

Edit :

I mean with game pad support for the same controller experience
 
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Gamers don't buy iPad Pro for $649 when a 4k Xbox console costs $499.

The controls on an iPad are not ideal for games. The audience for ported console games is too small for publishers to justify financially.
 
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whitedragon101 said:
Could we see proper console level games ported to IOS?
Click to expand...

Unfortunately I doubt it. It’s been tried (Bioshock) with mixed results. From a game/functionality standpoint, it was okay. The graphics weren’t as good as the console version and the controls were awkward.

The developer didn’t keep it current as the OS and hardware improved, so that was a waste of $10.

Honestly, I don’t think I would buy another game of that type on iOS.
 
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whitedragon101 said:
The iPad Pro is getting seriously powerful and will get even more so this year. Unreal Engine and Unity already work with metal natively meaning that porting PC/ Console games to IOS would be straightforward. Just hook in a Bluetooth controller and you’re good to go.

After seeing the Witness Ported in its entirety to IOS running just fine on an iPhone 6s and Playerunkown battlegrounds ported to IOS and running again on an iPhone 6s. I wonder just what would be possible on an iPad Pro. Could we see proper console level games ported to IOS?

(I really really want a port of Witcher 3 to IOS ;) )
Click to expand...
This level of tech was available back in 2013.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/epic-citadel/id388888815?mt=8

The demand is just not there for us to build it. Triple A titles cost nearly $50million to make. The sale of even 100,000 copies ( which we would never hit ) still would cost over $650.00US in the app store just to break even. A million would cost $65.00, ten million and now we are talking about something, but it is too high a risk.

Compare that to making a casual game for $50,000 and earn ten times that in advertisements. Less risk, more profit. Easy choice for the studios.
 
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whitedragon101 said:
The iPad Pro is getting seriously powerful and will get even more so this year. Unreal Engine and Unity already work with metal natively meaning that porting PC/ Console games to IOS would be straightforward. Just hook in a Bluetooth controller and you’re good to go.

After seeing the Witness Ported in its entirety to IOS running just fine on an iPhone 6s and Playerunkown battlegrounds ported to IOS and running again on an iPhone 6s. I wonder just what would be possible on an iPad Pro. Could we see proper console level games ported to IOS?

(I really really want a port of Witcher 3 to IOS ;) )
Click to expand...

2 games that are full ports of pc or console games that I can think of are:
Civilization 6
Grid Autosport

So definitely possible, but studios will need to decide if the outlay of porting is worth it or not
 
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This same topic has been brought up in the past with (then) current gen mobile devices. It never happens. You may get a nice-looking game once in a blue moon, but it won't ever ramp up high enough where it's a steady stream of AAA-quality games on iOS.
 
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With the iPad being closed with no active cooling, I do not see how it would shed the heat from the CPU and video adapter. You can easily push the limits of today’s iPad and you need even more processor power.
 
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No. Gamers use consoles or PCs and the companies making AAA games know that. If I want to play console-quality games on a mobile device, my Switch is much better for that. Even though my iPad Pro is most likely more powerful and has a much better screen, gaming on my Switch is a much better experience.

iPads are great general purpose devices but they suck at gaming.
 
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I play Civ VI regularly on my iPad Pro. I haven’t had a “gaming PC” for years, and as a fan of the series, I was really glad when it came out.

I also bought GRID which I consider to be console quality. I have a Steel Series Nimbus. I never play it. My son had commandeered my Nimbus at this point and uses it to play Minecraft on Apple TV.

I love that I have the option to play games like this though—I have a PS4 but remote play is still too unreliable for me to want to use it a lot, so the iPad games are a nice stand In for those situations.
 
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"Console level" games have always been possible (since Infinity Blade?).

But one cannot expect traditional console gaming on the iPad platform (price per game, controller, game size, etc), and they shouldn't. I rather see games developed for iOS/iPads from the ground up vs lazy ports of "console" games.
 
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JPack said:
Gamers don't buy iPad Pro for $649 when a 4k Xbox console costs $499.

The controls on an iPad are not ideal for games. The audience for ported console games is too small for publishers to justify financially.
Click to expand...

I did though? The primary limitation as stated elsewhere in this thread, is people just aren't willing to spend the money. Most of the people I have asked, aren't even willing to spend $2 on an iOS game, why would they spend $60? The hardware is there, controls can be done perfectly well, and the user can adapt. I also own a switch, I don't play it, why, because I have better options on my iPad in terms of games. Its like the difference between console and pc, there are TOOOOONS more indie random/free/mmo on pc then on console.

I do think though at some point in time, mobile gaming will receive higher quality, standard games, its already very slightly happening, as someone who exclusively download paid games on iOS.The mobile market is much more profitable, and larger than that of other gaming platforms. But as stated previously, for as long as consumers aren't willing to spend money, and the evil stigma on mobile platforms, its not going to happen. Even the free to play titles recently, Fortnite, Playerunknowns Battlegrounds, Black Desert Online, the quality of those games are pretty well considering a free to play mobile game, and they are becoming more common.
 
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pika2000 said:
"Console level" games have always been possible (since Infinity Blade?).

But one cannot expect traditional console gaming on the iPad platform (price per game, controller, game size, etc), and they shouldn't. I rather see games developed for iOS/iPads from the ground up vs lazy ports of "console" games.
Click to expand...

Check out “The Witness” it’s a 1 to 1 console/pc port of the game and every bit as good as the pc version. In some cases better as the puzzles work really well with a touch screen.
 
The problem is that touch controls are totally different than game pad or keyboard controls. So designing a game for the iPad is a totally different process. Yes, console-quality games can and are made for iPad. There are tons of them in the App Store. But if you are looking for the same games that are available on PC or game consoles, you probably aren’t going to find them.
 
Eric5273 said:
The problem is that touch controls are totally different than game pad or keyboard controls. So designing a game for the iPad is a totally different process. Yes, console-quality games can and are made for iPad. There are tons of them in the App Store. But if you are looking for the same games that are available on PC or game consoles, you probably aren’t going to find them.
Click to expand...

I totally mean straight ports of games to use with a game pad on the iPad. Same controls.

Business trip with iPad Pro and game pad in bag and Witcher 3 on the App Store
Ahh the dream...
 
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darkarn said:
Console games, sure!

The Atari is technically a console if you get my drift :p ;)
Click to expand...
Just for reference the grid autosports developers managed to get their game to run at a solid 30fps 1080p res on all supported iPads (ie slowest is the iPad 2017 fifth gen)

Compared to 720p with some frame drops on an xbox360.

The iPad Pro 2017 is several times faster than the iPad 2017, so the potential for great graphics is there (although not quite as good as current gen ps4 or xbox one).
 
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thunng8 said:
Just for reference the grid autosports developers managed to get their game to run at a solid 30fps 1080p res on all supported iPads (ie slowest is the iPad 2017 fifth gen)

Compared to 720p with some frame drops on an xbox360.

The iPad Pro 2017 is several times faster than the iPad 2017, so the potential for great graphics is there (although not quite as good as current gen ps4 or xbox one).
Click to expand...

The iPad Pro is indeed a solid device! Am playing fully 3D games on it sans lag. See this as example (any lag on this video is due to encoding issues).

 
Booji said:
I’m sure it is technically possible, but from a business standpoint people are very reluctant to pay for than $10 for a game on the app store.
Click to expand...

When games can stop working with iOS updates (all 32bit games don't work now), it isn't wise to invest in games for iOS devices.
 
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Booji said:
I’m sure it is technically possible, but from a business standpoint people are very reluctant to pay for than $10 for a game on the app store.
Click to expand...

JPack said:
Gamers don't buy iPad Pro for $649 when a 4k Xbox console costs $499.

The controls on an iPad are not ideal for games. The audience for ported console games is too small for publishers to justify financially.
Click to expand...

Both of these reasons are why gaming on handheld devices will never be at console level.
 
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