Next Apple TV could use A12Z or "A14X" in big Apple Arcade push

Posted:
in iPod + iTunes + AppleTV edited October 2020
Apple's next version of the Apple TV set-top box could use an 12 or A14 chip, a leaker claims, with Apple said to be making a major push to improve the quality of content offered in Apple Arcade.

The current-generation Apple TV 4K
The current-generation Apple TV 4K


A report from September pointed to a possible upgrade of the Apple TV with a new processor, as well as a gaming controller to support Apple Arcade sometime in 2021. In a Saturday weet from leaker "choco_bit," it seems that Apple's ambitions require some serious hardware choices.

In the tweet, the leaker suggests Apple is working on an A12X or A12Z-based Apple TV, using upgraded SoC versions previously used by the iPad Pro range. In the same tweet, Apple is also thought to be making an "A14X-like" Apple TV, which by the name alone would suggest the use of an enhanced form of the incoming A14 chip.






Apple Arcade is getting BIG money poured into it. There are currently titles in the works that are aiming to rival the likes of Breath of the Wild, which is why new A12X/Z AppleTV, "A14X-like" AppleTV, and Controller are in the works.

Some games will require A13 and up to run

-- Fudge (@choco_bit)


Apple's development of a controller for the "Apple TV 6" is also mentioned, an accessory that has previously appeared in connected rumors.

Apple is said to be opting for the higher-specification chips as it will be making a bigger push into making games for Apple Arcade. The service is "getting big money poured into it," says "choco_bit," with titles in development supposedly aiming to rival Nintendo's "The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild."

Some of the games in development will also apparently require an A13 Bionic or later version to run, suggesting they will only be playable by newer iPhone and iPad hardware.

Apple's strategy for Apple Arcade allegedly shifted in April, a June report claimed, with Apple said to have become more interested in funding games with higher levels of engagement, to encourage people to subscribe for longer.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 51
    robin huberrobin huber Posts: 3,949member
    When are they going to do something about that controller? Worst hand held control since the puck mouse. 
    rossb2cy_starkmangregoriusmMplsP
  • Reply 2 of 51
    wood1208wood1208 Posts: 2,905member
    looking further in future, Apple may need to offer cheaper AppleTV stick($50-$100) mainly for Streaming and drop the AppleTV Box or raise the game with beefed up AppleTV box to the point able to attract serious game developers. Utilizing performance of Cloud connected gaming, Apple don't have to make AppleTV Box like XBOX Series X or PS5 equivalent powerhouse standalone console. 
    edited October 2020 lkruppgregoriusmcy_starkmanBeatswilliamlondon
  • Reply 3 of 51
    There wasn’t anything architecturally to the A13 like there was for the A11 (support for Float16 or for TBDR).  Makes no sense. 
    lkruppaderutterwatto_cobra
  • Reply 4 of 51
    Or perhaps a Mac Nano with an A14X using the identical form factor starting at around $300? Apple could get a huge increase in market segment with a desktop computer like that. It would run rings around a similar priced PC.
    mike54lkruppwilliamlondonelijahgwatto_cobra
  • Reply 5 of 51
    GeorgeBMacGeorgeBMac Posts: 11,421member
    I would like to get an Apple TV -- if not for myself then for my grandson.
    But, there's no way I want to buy one with 4 year old processor.   That just doesn't make sense to me.
    lkruppgregoriusmdoozydozenBeatsaegeandkhaley
  • Reply 6 of 51
    toddzrxtoddzrx Posts: 254member
    I would like to get an Apple TV -- if not for myself then for my grandson.
    But, there's no way I want to buy one with 4 year old processor.   That just doesn't make sense to me.
    I'm running an ATV 4 with the A8; runs just as smoothly as my 4 month old 2nd gen iPhone SE in terms of navigating through apps, buffering content, etc.  The ATV is simple: it just needs to effectively stream HD or 4K content, and those standards don't change. 
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 7 of 51
    Except that "Breath of the Wild" runs on cheap Android tablet hardware. Seriously it has similar internals to the Nvidia Shield line of tablets and set top boxes. Basically the same as Samsung Galaxt Tab A tablets. (The Galaxy Tab S are their more premium tablets that contain the flagship Qualcomm and Exynos SOCs). Also the original version of that game ran on the 720p Wii U.

    So I have no idea why that comparison is made. Should have compared it to some of the more graphically demanding PS4 or XBox One or Steam games instead of a title that is anime style 1080p - the least demanding - instead of realistic 4K like The Last of Us 2, The Avengers, Spiderman etc.

    Also, whether a truly graphically demanding 4K game can be funded with the Apple Arcade subscription model when such games have bigger budgets and longer development times than blockbuster Hollywood movies - like 5 years and $200 million easy - is very debatable. So I do not know who they are trying to convince - or fool - here but it certainly isn't serious gamers who know about actual AAA video game development lifecycles and the hardware that it requires to play it. To put it another way, the hottest game right now - Genshin Impact - looks absolutely gorgeous and plays just fine on inexpensive Android phones. Doesn't require an A12Z or A14 chip at all or anything close. It runs fine on $200 Android phones that have MediaTek and lower end Qualcomm chips. And yes, Genshin Impact is a BoW clone, to the extent that its creators recently held a press conference to describe the differences between the two games.
    edited October 2020 mike54GeorgeBMacwilliamlondonaderutter
  • Reply 8 of 51
    cg27cg27 Posts: 213member
    Would love to have a continuously smooth interactive Look Around driving simulator that enables one to virtually tour any town.  Then layer video game AR themes on top for those that want: car chases, classic cars, muscle cars, Italian cars, etc.  Apple has all the ingredients to pull off a fantastic experience.  It would be like Microsoft’s Flight Simulator, albeit on the ground.
    gregoriusmBeatsretrogustowatto_cobra
  • Reply 9 of 51
    I would like to get an Apple TV -- if not for myself then for my grandson.
    But, there's no way I want to buy one with 4 year old processor.   That just doesn't make sense to me.
    Ummm ... you should investigate the hardware that is in a Roku. Feature phone stuff. Similarly the hardware in a Fire TV or Android TV box - which cost as little as $35 or $50 - would barely run a very cheap Android phone. Ditto for smart TVs. Streaming apps don't require much CPU at all. YouTube TV is actually a PWA on some devices and people are none the wiser. There is absolutely nothing that a set top box will do that requires a modern Ax chip. Using a newer chip would just made the device more expensive and use excess power from a CPU that goes 99% unutilized while providing no benefit. Bad engineering and bad product design.

    Of course if Apple is actually able to turn Apple TV into a serious gaming device then you are right. But that has to actually happen first.
    entropysGeorgeBMacwilliamlondon
  • Reply 10 of 51
    entropysentropys Posts: 4,152member
    Without a must have highly desirable bunch of games to get the console crowd exited (FPS etc) what would be the point if all that grunt?
    cy_starkmanBeatselijahgmuthuk_vanalingamwatto_cobra
  • Reply 11 of 51
    BeatsBeats Posts: 3,073member
    cloudguy said:
    Except that "Breath of the Wild" runs on cheap Android tablet hardware. Seriously it has similar internals to the Nvidia Shield line of tablets and set top boxes. Basically the same as Samsung Galaxt Tab A tablets. (The Galaxy Tab S are their more premium tablets that contain the flagship Qualcomm and Exynos SOCs). Also the original version of that game ran on the 720p Wii U.

    So I have no idea why that comparison is made. Should have compared it to some of the more graphically demanding PS4 or XBox One or Steam games instead of a title that is anime style 1080p - the least demanding - instead of realistic 4K like The Last of Us 2, The Avengers, Spiderman etc.

    Also, whether a truly graphically demanding 4K game can be funded with the Apple Arcade subscription model when such games have bigger budgets and longer development times than blockbuster Hollywood movies - like 5 years and $200 million easy - is very debatable. So I do not know who they are trying to convince - or fool - here but it certainly isn't serious gamers who know about actual AAA video game development lifecycles and the hardware that it requires to play it. To put it another way, the hottest game right now - Genshin Impact - looks absolutely gorgeous and plays just fine on inexpensive Android phones. Doesn't require an A12Z or A14 chip at all or anything close. It runs fine on $200 Android phones that have MediaTek and lower end Qualcomm chips. And yes, Genshin Impact is a BoW clone, to the extent that its creators recently held a press conference to describe the differences between the two games.

    Genshin Impact is not "hot". Also funny how people call copycat games "clones" but forgive Android iKnockoffs for being 99% the same. They make Breath of the Wild clones look 99% original. Selective criticism.

    Anyways the current Apple TV is already more powerful than the switch. The problem is, Apple tries to support as many platforms as possible so there's a lower support threshold. I believe Apple TV games have to support iPhone 6. If Apple lifted that limit for iPad Pro and Apple TV then we would see some great development on the scale of GTA V.
    gregoriusmwilliamlondonGG1watto_cobra
  • Reply 12 of 51
    BeatsBeats Posts: 3,073member
    entropys said:
    Without a must have highly desirable bunch of games to get the console crowd exited (FPS etc) what would be the point if all that grunt?
    Doesn't matter if Apple demands they support iPhone 8 even though the games are developed with A14 in mind.
  • Reply 13 of 51
    GeorgeBMacGeorgeBMac Posts: 11,421member
    cloudguy said:
    I would like to get an Apple TV -- if not for myself then for my grandson.
    But, there's no way I want to buy one with 4 year old processor.   That just doesn't make sense to me.
    Ummm ... you should investigate the hardware that is in a Roku. Feature phone stuff. Similarly the hardware in a Fire TV or Android TV box - which cost as little as $35 or $50 - would barely run a very cheap Android phone. Ditto for smart TVs. Streaming apps don't require much CPU at all. YouTube TV is actually a PWA on some devices and people are none the wiser. There is absolutely nothing that a set top box will do that requires a modern Ax chip. Using a newer chip would just made the device more expensive and use excess power from a CPU that goes 99% unutilized while providing no benefit. Bad engineering and bad product design.

    Of course if Apple is actually able to turn Apple TV into a serious gaming device then you are right. But that has to actually happen first.

    Thanks....  That makes sense....
    williamlondon
  • Reply 14 of 51
    cloudguy said:
    To put it another way, the hottest game right now - Genshin Impact - looks absolutely gorgeous and plays just fine on inexpensive Android phones. Doesn't require an A12Z or A14 chip at all or anything close. It runs fine on $200 Android phones that have MediaTek and lower end Qualcomm chips. 
    iOS/Android games are like PC games: the better the hardware, the better they look. They don't really run the same way on lower end devices. The level of textures and lighting and effects and frame rate scales automatically with the device it's running on, and there are usually some manual controls in the games that you can tinker around with as well. Oceanhorn 2 was a game that already provided a good idea of how cel-shaded games like Genshin Impact would change based on the SoC you were using.
    williamlondongregoriusmwatto_cobra
  • Reply 15 of 51
    crowleycrowley Posts: 10,453member
    cloudguy said:
    Except that "Breath of the Wild" runs on cheap Android tablet hardware. Seriously it has similar internals to the Nvidia Shield line of tablets and set top boxes. Basically the same as Samsung Galaxt Tab A tablets. (The Galaxy Tab S are their more premium tablets that contain the flagship Qualcomm and Exynos SOCs). Also the original version of that game ran on the 720p Wii U.

    So I have no idea why that comparison is made. Should have compared it to some of the more graphically demanding PS4 or XBox One or Steam games instead of a title that is anime style 1080p - the least demanding - instead of realistic 4K like The Last of Us 2, The Avengers, Spiderman etc.

    Also, whether a truly graphically demanding 4K game can be funded with the Apple Arcade subscription model when such games have bigger budgets and longer development times than blockbuster Hollywood movies - like 5 years and $200 million easy - is very debatable. So I do not know who they are trying to convince - or fool - here but it certainly isn't serious gamers who know about actual AAA video game development lifecycles and the hardware that it requires to play it. To put it another way, the hottest game right now - Genshin Impact - looks absolutely gorgeous and plays just fine on inexpensive Android phones. Doesn't require an A12Z or A14 chip at all or anything close. It runs fine on $200 Android phones that have MediaTek and lower end Qualcomm chips. And yes, Genshin Impact is a BoW clone, to the extent that its creators recently held a press conference to describe the differences between the two games.
    Breath Of the Wild's draw distances aren't great, there are framerate issues when lots of enemies are around and loading screens (though infrequent) are too long.  I agree, it's not the best example to use for technical capability.  Damn fine game in spite of those issues though.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 16 of 51
    crowley said: Breath Of the Wild's draw distances aren't great, there are framerate issues when lots of enemies are around and loading screens (though infrequent) are too long.  I agree, it's not the best example to use for technical capability.  Damn fine game in spite of those issues though.
    Yeah, I think the 4K version of Switch that Nintendo appears to be planning will be the appropriate hardware/software comparison. I would imagine that will be more in line with a PS4 Pro type of spec than PS5 or Xbox Series X. 
    supadav03watto_cobra
  • Reply 17 of 51
    blastdoorblastdoor Posts: 3,258member
    If Apple invested the time and money in gaming that they have in Apple TV+ content they’d have accomplished a lot more. 
    retrogustomobirdmaury markowitzwatto_cobra
  • Reply 18 of 51
    retrogustoretrogusto Posts: 1,109member
    cg27 said:
    Would love to have a continuously smooth interactive Look Around driving simulator that enables one to virtually tour any town.  Then layer video game AR themes on top for those that want: car chases, classic cars, muscle cars, Italian cars, etc.  Apple has all the ingredients to pull off a fantastic experience.  It would be like Microsoft’s Flight Simulator, albeit on the ground.
    Yeah, I want them to make something like Zwift using the Look Around imaging, so you can effectively ride your bike (on a trainer) through the neighborhoods of your choice, with topographic data driving the pedaling resistance. 
    gregoriusmwatto_cobra
  • Reply 19 of 51
    XedXed Posts: 2,519member
    When are they going to do something about that controller? Worst hand held control since the puck mouse. 
    I wish they would include support for the Nintendo Switch controllers like they do for the Xbox and PS.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 20 of 51
    alandailalandail Posts: 755member
    If they haven't already done so, they need to fix the issue that you can't use two controllers to play a multi-player game. I tried to set it up to play a game with my grandkids and had to pull out iPads to add other players instead of doing it all on the Apple TV like any other gaming system would support. Don't want to lose multi-player over a network, just dont' want to require it.
    Beatswatto_cobra
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