Watch Apple's iPad Pro chew through Fortnite at 60fps

Posted:
in iPad edited December 2018
While Apple's 2018 iPad Pro is a bonafide performance powerhouse in synthetic testing, there has yet to be an app that showcases the tablet's mettle. That recently changed when Epic Games released an update to Fortnite, delivering an option to play the massively popular game at a smooth 60 frames per second.

Fortnite iPad Pro
Apple's 2018 iPad Pro running Fortnite.


The new 60fps option can be enabled by navigating to the game's settings. For this test, we set the frame rate to the new 60fps maximum and graphics quality to "High." Interestingly, "Epic" graphics is still not available, though the option is displayed as a grayed-out setting, suggesting it might be enabled in a future update.

We instantly noticed how smoothly the game ran compared to the previous 30fps limit -- no dropped frames and animations were silky. Firefight after firefight, gameplay maintained a high level of performance, with no dropped frames to be found.






Our Fortnite tests typically involve mobile phones, but the experience is so much better on an iPad, especially the 11-inch iPad Pro. The user interface is spread out nicely and the additional screen real estate provides a much better field of view. Resolution is just as sharp as an iPhone, allowing players to easily spot enemies in the distance.

With enhanced controls and a bigger screen, we were able to play at a more competitive level. This is in contrast to an iPhone, where the experience is relatively restrictive.

We were also completely blown away by the display's color reproduction, which is touted as one of the most accurate on the market. Suffice it to say, Fortnite's vibrant color palette popped.

Fortnite iPad Pro
Animations are silky smooth on the 11-inch iPad Pro.


We played a total of an hour and didn't notice the iPad Pro heat up during testing. Before getting in the game, we were at 91 percent battery life. After testing, battery life was at 73 percent, which is extremely impressive considering Fortnite is both processor- and network-intensive.

Overall, we are extremely impressed with the 2018 iPad Pro, and 60fps in Fortnite Mobile is a game changer. The capability puts the 2018 iPad Pro head and shoulders above the 2017 10.5-inch iPad Pro, since last year's device is limited to only 30fps.

The one saving grace for the 10.5-inch model is full screen play. Epic's most recent patch was supposed to address the black border situation that comes as a result of the new aspect ratio on the 2018 11-inch iPad Pro, but it failed to do so. Once Epic optimizes the game, however, it will be no contest.

Where to buy

Apple authorized resellers are currently discounting iPad Pros just in time for the holidays. Save $50 on select 2018 11-inch models or up to $200 on 10.5-inch tablets. Resellers, such as Adorama and B&H Photo, also will not collect sales tax in many states. For the latest deals and product availability, be sure to check out our iPad Price Guide.

2018 11" iPad Pro deals 10.5" iPad Pro discounts
«1

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 21
    Occam's ShivOccam's Shiv Posts: 1unconfirmed, member
    What's the Max frame rate for the iPad as compared to other tablets?  How can you tell the frame rate from a tablet's specs?
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 2 of 21
    It’s a powerful iPad, no doubt. Speaking only for myself, the lack of a headphone jack to accept recording studio standard equipment killed the possibility of me buying one for now. I consider this exclusion a shortsighted decision. Surely no “pros” expected Apple to do that.

    I don’t care about Fortnite in the slightest and I’m not going to spend about $2K for a new iPad that’s incompatible with most of my industry standard audio gear.

    Apple sometimes leads in the wrong direction on product design, IMO. They’re not perfect and that’s OK.
    edited December 2018 MisterKitwilliamlondon
  • Reply 3 of 21
    It’s a powerful iPad, no doubt. Speaking only for myself, the lack of a headphone jack to accept recording studio standard equipment killed the possibility of me buying one for now. I consider this exclusion a shortsighted decision. Surely no “pros” expected Apple to do that.

    I don’t care about Fortnite in the slightest and I’m not going to spend about $2K for a new iPad that’s incompatible with most of my industry standard audio gear.

    Apple sometimes leads in the wrong direction on product design, IMO. They’re not perfect and that’s OK.
    Exactly. A better name might be iPad Gamer. Not iPad Pro.
    SpamSandwichwilliamlondon
  • Reply 4 of 21
    It’s a powerful iPad, no doubt. Speaking only for myself, the lack of a headphone jack to accept recording studio standard equipment killed the possibility of me buying one for now. I consider this exclusion a shortsighted decision. Surely no “pros” expected Apple to do that.

    I don’t care about Fortnite in the slightest and I’m not going to spend about $2K for a new iPad that’s incompatible with most of my industry standard audio gear.

    Apple sometimes leads in the wrong direction on product design, IMO. They’re not perfect and that’s OK.
    Serious question here: why can't you just use the Apple lightning headphone adapter?  It is tying up the port or the sound quality or an objection to extra cords?
    macpluspluswatto_cobrawilliamlondon
  • Reply 5 of 21
    It’s a powerful iPad, no doubt. Speaking only for myself, the lack of a headphone jack to accept recording studio standard equipment killed the possibility of me buying one for now. I consider this exclusion a shortsighted decision. Surely no “pros” expected Apple to do that.

    I don’t care about Fortnite in the slightest and I’m not going to spend about $2K for a new iPad that’s incompatible with most of my industry standard audio gear.

    Apple sometimes leads in the wrong direction on product design, IMO. They’re not perfect and that’s OK.
    Serious question here: why can't you just use the Apple lightning headphone adapter?  It is tying up the port or the sound quality or an objection to extra cords?
    I would think all of the above. 3.5mm plugs are ubiquitous. Lightning to 3.5mm cables are not. Having to remember to carry an adapter with your ubiquitous equipment is easily forgotten. Wireless fidelity isn't quite there yet for studio grade recording.
    SpamSandwichrandominternetpersonwilliamlondon
  • Reply 6 of 21
    It’s a powerful iPad, no doubt. Speaking only for myself, the lack of a headphone jack to accept recording studio standard equipment killed the possibility of me buying one for now. I consider this exclusion a shortsighted decision. Surely no “pros” expected Apple to do that.

    I don’t care about Fortnite in the slightest and I’m not going to spend about $2K for a new iPad that’s incompatible with most of my industry standard audio gear.

    Apple sometimes leads in the wrong direction on product design, IMO. They’re not perfect and that’s OK.
    Serious question here: why can't you just use the Apple lightning headphone adapter?  It is tying up the port or the sound quality or an objection to extra cords?
    We have been down this road many times here. With only one port some kind of dock is required for audio pros to use the iPad in many ways that made an iPad worth using in the first place.

    Of course there are still many uses for the new iPad Pros and no doubt it is a powerful device. The weird thing is that it throws a real curveball to a large market for which a powerful tablet is an ideal piece of gear.
    SpamSandwichwilliamlondon
  • Reply 7 of 21
    bigtdsbigtds Posts: 167member
    It’s a powerful iPad, no doubt. Speaking only for myself, the lack of a headphone jack to accept recording studio standard equipment killed the possibility of me buying one for now. I consider this exclusion a shortsighted decision. Surely no “pros” expected Apple to do that.

    I don’t care about Fortnite in the slightest and I’m not going to spend about $2K for a new iPad that’s incompatible with most of my industry standard audio gear.

    Apple sometimes leads in the wrong direction on product design, IMO. They’re not perfect and that’s OK.
    Serious question here: why can't you just use the Apple lightning headphone adapter?  It is tying up the port or the sound quality or an objection to extra cords?
    It uses USB C.
    randominternetpersonwatto_cobrawilliamlondon
  • Reply 8 of 21
    It’s a powerful iPad, no doubt. Speaking only for myself, the lack of a headphone jack to accept recording studio standard equipment killed the possibility of me buying one for now. I consider this exclusion a shortsighted decision. Surely no “pros” expected Apple to do that.

    I don’t care about Fortnite in the slightest and I’m not going to spend about $2K for a new iPad that’s incompatible with most of my industry standard audio gear.

    Apple sometimes leads in the wrong direction on product design, IMO. They’re not perfect and that’s OK.
    Serious question here: why can't you just use the Apple lightning headphone adapter?  It is tying up the port or the sound quality or an objection to extra cords?
    It was a needless change on Apple’s part (sure they’ll justify it with resons, but those reasons don’t matter to people who place a premium on production speed). It was dumb to eliminate a standard audio port for headphones. My current iPad Pro will accept studio headphones, an adapter for power and a MIDI keyboard or mic without a lot of screwing around. I’m aware my use case isn’t everyone’s. Although I did note with interest similar comments about the elimination of the headphone jack by Alex Lindsay (Pixel Corps) who is even more deeply involved in production. Non-standard equipment changes for no apparent logical reason tends to irritate professionals.
    MisterKitwilliamlondon
  • Reply 9 of 21
    flydogflydog Posts: 1,123member
    What's the Max frame rate for the iPad as compared to other tablets?  How can you tell the frame rate from a tablet's specs?
    https://developer.apple.com/library/archive/documentation/DeviceInformation/Reference/iOSDeviceCompatibility/Displays/Displays.html
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 10 of 21
    jcs2305jcs2305 Posts: 1,336member
    It’s a powerful iPad, no doubt. Speaking only for myself, the lack of a headphone jack to accept recording studio standard equipment killed the possibility of me buying one for now. I consider this exclusion a shortsighted decision. Surely no “pros” expected Apple to do that.

    I don’t care about Fortnite in the slightest and I’m not going to spend about $2K for a new iPad that’s incompatible with most of my industry standard audio gear.

    Apple sometimes leads in the wrong direction on product design, IMO. They’re not perfect and that’s OK.
    It does seem odd to kill the Headphone jack and not include the USB-C to 3.5mm adapter with the new iPad. They sell one on Apple.com, but it seems they don't provide one in the box?  I have last year's 10.5 Pro and I use the headphone jack frequently.  It seems like having BT on often for headphone use or just switched on really kills the battery.

    I use BeatsX all day at work and it doesn't seem to hit my phone's battery nearly as hard as the iPad?  I even took it in the Apple Store for diagnostics on the battery and they said it was fine.

    I do not use it for Pro purposes but I def like the headphone jack as an option on the iPad.With this being the 1st model without it I am surprised that there is no adapter included.. Especially at this price point.Ipads have crept up to near iPhone prices in the last couple of years.
    SpamSandwichrandominternetpersonwilliamlondon
  • Reply 11 of 21
    It’s a powerful iPad, no doubt. Speaking only for myself, the lack of a headphone jack to accept recording studio standard equipment killed the possibility of me buying one for now. I consider this exclusion a shortsighted decision. Surely no “pros” expected Apple to do that.
    Serious question here: why can't you just use the Apple lightning headphone adapter?  It is tying up the port or the sound quality or an objection to extra cords?
    I would think all of the above. 3.5mm plugs are ubiquitous. Lightning to 3.5mm cables are not. Having to remember to carry an adapter with your ubiquitous equipment is easily forgotten. Wireless fidelity isn't quite there yet for studio grade recording.
    That’s kind of an amusing statement considering a 3.5mm plug is not ‘studio grade’ recording either. It’s prosumer at best. It’s unfortunate that expectations for audio quality have gone down so much that people perceive the lack of a 3.5mm jack a problem for ‘pros’.
    ericthehalfbeeradarthekatroundaboutnowrandominternetpersonwatto_cobrawilliamlondon
  • Reply 12 of 21
    georgie01 said:
    It’s a powerful iPad, no doubt. Speaking only for myself, the lack of a headphone jack to accept recording studio standard equipment killed the possibility of me buying one for now. I consider this exclusion a shortsighted decision. Surely no “pros” expected Apple to do that.
    Serious question here: why can't you just use the Apple lightning headphone adapter?  It is tying up the port or the sound quality or an objection to extra cords?
    I would think all of the above. 3.5mm plugs are ubiquitous. Lightning to 3.5mm cables are not. Having to remember to carry an adapter with your ubiquitous equipment is easily forgotten. Wireless fidelity isn't quite there yet for studio grade recording.
    That’s kind of an amusing statement considering a 3.5mm plug is not ‘studio grade’ recording either. It’s prosumer at best. It’s unfortunate that expectations for audio quality have gone down so much that people perceive the lack of a 3.5mm jack a problem for ‘pros’.

    This. Professional gear uses either 1/4” or XLR connections. Not to mention that any decent I/O interface will already include a headphone jack. Even the consumer oriented iRigs come with headphone jacks.
    roundaboutnowrandominternetpersonwatto_cobrawilliamlondon
  • Reply 13 of 21
    zoetmbzoetmb Posts: 2,654member
    It’s a powerful iPad, no doubt. Speaking only for myself, the lack of a headphone jack to accept recording studio standard equipment killed the possibility of me buying one for now. I consider this exclusion a shortsighted decision. Surely no “pros” expected Apple to do that.

    I don’t care about Fortnite in the slightest and I’m not going to spend about $2K for a new iPad that’s incompatible with most of my industry standard audio gear.

    Apple sometimes leads in the wrong direction on product design, IMO. They’re not perfect and that’s OK.
    Serious question here: why can't you just use the Apple lightning headphone adapter?  It is tying up the port or the sound quality or an objection to extra cords?
    It was a needless change on Apple’s part (sure they’ll justify it with resons, but those reasons don’t matter to people who place a premium on production speed). It was dumb to eliminate a standard audio port for headphones. My current iPad Pro will accept studio headphones, an adapter for power and a MIDI keyboard or mic without a lot of screwing around. I’m aware my use case isn’t everyone’s. Although I did note with interest similar comments about the elimination of the headphone jack by Alex Lindsay (Pixel Corps) who is even more deeply involved in production. Non-standard equipment changes for no apparent logical reason tends to irritate professionals.
    That's all fine, but an analog headphone jack is not pro level either (except for earphones).   True pro analog is balanced +4dbm on an XLR connector.   A line phone jack at -10dbm is probably also acceptable, but not pro.   A headphone jack doesn't cut it for anything but a headphone.   So you really HAVE to take digital audio out of the port and convert it on another device if you want to use the audio for any pro application.   
    radarthekattmayroundaboutnowrandominternetpersonwatto_cobrawilliamlondon
  • Reply 14 of 21
    cpsrocpsro Posts: 3,192member
    Is 60fps an option on the new 12.9" model, as well? (more pixels and same gpu, so i'm not going to assume.)
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 15 of 21
    zoetmb said:
    It’s a powerful iPad, no doubt. Speaking only for myself, the lack of a headphone jack to accept recording studio standard equipment killed the possibility of me buying one for now. I consider this exclusion a shortsighted decision. Surely no “pros” expected Apple to do that.

    I don’t care about Fortnite in the slightest and I’m not going to spend about $2K for a new iPad that’s incompatible with most of my industry standard audio gear.

    Apple sometimes leads in the wrong direction on product design, IMO. They’re not perfect and that’s OK.
    Serious question here: why can't you just use the Apple lightning headphone adapter?  It is tying up the port or the sound quality or an objection to extra cords?
    It was a needless change on Apple’s part (sure they’ll justify it with resons, but those reasons don’t matter to people who place a premium on production speed). It was dumb to eliminate a standard audio port for headphones. My current iPad Pro will accept studio headphones, an adapter for power and a MIDI keyboard or mic without a lot of screwing around. I’m aware my use case isn’t everyone’s. Although I did note with interest similar comments about the elimination of the headphone jack by Alex Lindsay (Pixel Corps) who is even more deeply involved in production. Non-standard equipment changes for no apparent logical reason tends to irritate professionals.
    That's all fine, but an analog headphone jack is not pro level either (except for earphones).   True pro analog is balanced +4dbm on an XLR connector.   A line phone jack at -10dbm is probably also acceptable, but not pro.   A headphone jack doesn't cut it for anything but a headphone.   So you really HAVE to take digital audio out of the port and convert it on another device if you want to use the audio for any pro application.   
    I was referring to headphones. Studio-grade headphones with an 1/8” jack.
    williamlondon
  • Reply 16 of 21
    MplsPMplsP Posts: 3,911member
    zoetmb said:
    It’s a powerful iPad, no doubt. Speaking only for myself, the lack of a headphone jack to accept recording studio standard equipment killed the possibility of me buying one for now. I consider this exclusion a shortsighted decision. Surely no “pros” expected Apple to do that.

    I don’t care about Fortnite in the slightest and I’m not going to spend about $2K for a new iPad that’s incompatible with most of my industry standard audio gear.

    Apple sometimes leads in the wrong direction on product design, IMO. They’re not perfect and that’s OK.
    Serious question here: why can't you just use the Apple lightning headphone adapter?  It is tying up the port or the sound quality or an objection to extra cords?
    It was a needless change on Apple’s part (sure they’ll justify it with resons, but those reasons don’t matter to people who place a premium on production speed). It was dumb to eliminate a standard audio port for headphones. My current iPad Pro will accept studio headphones, an adapter for power and a MIDI keyboard or mic without a lot of screwing around. I’m aware my use case isn’t everyone’s. Although I did note with interest similar comments about the elimination of the headphone jack by Alex Lindsay (Pixel Corps) who is even more deeply involved in production. Non-standard equipment changes for no apparent logical reason tends to irritate professionals.
    That's all fine, but an analog headphone jack is not pro level either (except for earphones).   True pro analog is balanced +4dbm on an XLR connector.   A line phone jack at -10dbm is probably also acceptable, but not pro.   A headphone jack doesn't cut it for anything but a headphone.   So you really HAVE to take digital audio out of the port and convert it on another device if you want to use the audio for any pro application.   
    I was referring to headphones. Studio-grade headphones with an 1/8” jack.
    But the headphone jack is old and obsolete! You clearly must be using obsolete equipment if it has a ⅛” jack. /s
  • Reply 17 of 21
    MplsP said:
    zoetmb said:
    It’s a powerful iPad, no doubt. Speaking only for myself, the lack of a headphone jack to accept recording studio standard equipment killed the possibility of me buying one for now. I consider this exclusion a shortsighted decision. Surely no “pros” expected Apple to do that.

    I don’t care about Fortnite in the slightest and I’m not going to spend about $2K for a new iPad that’s incompatible with most of my industry standard audio gear.

    Apple sometimes leads in the wrong direction on product design, IMO. They’re not perfect and that’s OK.
    Serious question here: why can't you just use the Apple lightning headphone adapter?  It is tying up the port or the sound quality or an objection to extra cords?
    It was a needless change on Apple’s part (sure they’ll justify it with resons, but those reasons don’t matter to people who place a premium on production speed). It was dumb to eliminate a standard audio port for headphones. My current iPad Pro will accept studio headphones, an adapter for power and a MIDI keyboard or mic without a lot of screwing around. I’m aware my use case isn’t everyone’s. Although I did note with interest similar comments about the elimination of the headphone jack by Alex Lindsay (Pixel Corps) who is even more deeply involved in production. Non-standard equipment changes for no apparent logical reason tends to irritate professionals.
    That's all fine, but an analog headphone jack is not pro level either (except for earphones).   True pro analog is balanced +4dbm on an XLR connector.   A line phone jack at -10dbm is probably also acceptable, but not pro.   A headphone jack doesn't cut it for anything but a headphone.   So you really HAVE to take digital audio out of the port and convert it on another device if you want to use the audio for any pro application.   
    I was referring to headphones. Studio-grade headphones with an 1/8” jack.
    But the headphone jack is old and obsolete! You clearly must be using obsolete equipment if it has a ⅛” jack. /s
    LOL. It’s a 1/4” jack with a screw on 1/8” adapter.
  • Reply 18 of 21
    bigtds said:
    It’s a powerful iPad, no doubt. Speaking only for myself, the lack of a headphone jack to accept recording studio standard equipment killed the possibility of me buying one for now. I consider this exclusion a shortsighted decision. Surely no “pros” expected Apple to do that.

    I don’t care about Fortnite in the slightest and I’m not going to spend about $2K for a new iPad that’s incompatible with most of my industry standard audio gear.

    Apple sometimes leads in the wrong direction on product design, IMO. They’re not perfect and that’s OK.
    Serious question here: why can't you just use the Apple lightning headphone adapter?  It is tying up the port or the sound quality or an objection to extra cords?
    It uses USB C.
    Ah right.  I had forgotten about that.  So no iPhone headphones will work "out of the box."  That is an odd choice.

    In any case, I wasn't suggesting that missing the jack on an iPad wasn't a limitation, I was just curious why it was considered a deal-breaker rather than something to be irked about.  
  • Reply 19 of 21
    georgie01 said:
    It’s a powerful iPad, no doubt. Speaking only for myself, the lack of a headphone jack to accept recording studio standard equipment killed the possibility of me buying one for now. I consider this exclusion a shortsighted decision. Surely no “pros” expected Apple to do that.
    Serious question here: why can't you just use the Apple lightning headphone adapter?  It is tying up the port or the sound quality or an objection to extra cords?
    I would think all of the above. 3.5mm plugs are ubiquitous. Lightning to 3.5mm cables are not. Having to remember to carry an adapter with your ubiquitous equipment is easily forgotten. Wireless fidelity isn't quite there yet for studio grade recording.
    That’s kind of an amusing statement considering a 3.5mm plug is not ‘studio grade’ recording either. It’s prosumer at best. It’s unfortunate that expectations for audio quality have gone down so much that people perceive the lack of a 3.5mm jack a problem for ‘pros’.
    While you are correct about the 3.5mm analog audio output not being the best of the best, it is surprisingly a very high quality signal. Search for some lab tests if you have not already done so. The line output is very much useful and practical in real world professional situations.
    williamlondon
  • Reply 19 of 21
    georgie01 said:
    It’s a powerful iPad, no doubt. Speaking only for myself, the lack of a headphone jack to accept recording studio standard equipment killed the possibility of me buying one for now. I consider this exclusion a shortsighted decision. Surely no “pros” expected Apple to do that.
    Serious question here: why can't you just use the Apple lightning headphone adapter?  It is tying up the port or the sound quality or an objection to extra cords?
    I would think all of the above. 3.5mm plugs are ubiquitous. Lightning to 3.5mm cables are not. Having to remember to carry an adapter with your ubiquitous equipment is easily forgotten. Wireless fidelity isn't quite there yet for studio grade recording.
    That’s kind of an amusing statement considering a 3.5mm plug is not ‘studio grade’ recording either. It’s prosumer at best. It’s unfortunate that expectations for audio quality have gone down so much that people perceive the lack of a 3.5mm jack a problem for ‘pros’.
    While you are correct about the 3.5mm analog audio output not being the best of the best, it is surprisingly a very high quality signal. Search for some lab tests if you have not already done so. The line output is very much useful and practical in real world professional situations.
    williamlondon
Sign In or Register to comment.