Personally, I'd probably let the TV scale it, so that the Apple TV is always sending video at the correct frame rate and resolution for that content. The TV can then display 24p film content. I have been reading about turning a first gen Apple TV into a computer running full OS X. I have seen that it has a USB port and that is why I want the first gen. Could I use my third gen Apple TV. Dec 14, 2020 Source: Apple App Store Take the war of the dark or light side to the ground or air with Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes. This collectible RPG game allows you to amass a team of heroes or villains like Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Darth Vader, and Kylo Ren, and more, and guide them through an epic turn-based battle to save or conquer the galaxy.
- Apple TV 5 products. Space combat has been designed for Star Wars™ Battlefront™ II from the ground up with distinct handling, weapons and customization.
- Open iTunes on your computer, select Apple TV in the Source list, and then click Restore. So that pretty much indicates that the new AppleTV can function in some manner while powered by the USB port.
When the 4th generation Apple TV was released, the App Store integration opened up a lot of possibilities. But I had one big question: Can I game with it?
![Apple Apple](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/wbhp8YNFac4/maxresdefault.jpg)
Of course, there is a big collection of games on the Apple TV App Store. But I’m not so interested in casual games. I’m really focused on whether the Apple TV can compete with dedicated gaming consoles—PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, and Wii U.
Let’s take a look at three important criteria to judge the gaming experience on the Apple TV: the controller, the library of games, and the horsepower.
The first thing you need to understand is that the Siri Remote is not going to work as a game controller. There are a few exceptions. Casual games with simple controls like Mr. Crab work great with the Siri Remote. And Beat Sports was clearly designed with the Siri Remote in mind. But if you’re trying to get the real console gaming experience, you’ll need a real gaming controller.
Fortunately, the Apple TV does support Bluetooth gaming controllers. Your best bet when shopping for game controllers is to find an “MFi” controller, or something that is specifically listed as compatible with the Apple TV. I tested two popular controllers, the Nimbus and the Stratus XL, both made by SteelSeries.
I found these controllers to be almost as good as the PS4 and Xbox controllers. They are comfortable to hold. They pair with the Apple TV very easily. The connection is stable and responsive. But these controllers do have some issues.
In Disney Infinity, I found that the older SteelSeries Stratus XL had some serious latency issues. Fortunately, the Disney Infinity starter pack comes with the SteelSeries Nimbus, which works great. I didn’t have problems with the Stratus in any other games.
The main issue I have with the SteelSeries controllers is that the analog sticks are very stiff. At best, that means it will take more time to get used to them. At worst, you might lose accuracy in games. The Nimbus did feel better than the Stratus, but both were noticeably stiffer than the console controllers I love. This is a minor complaint, but it gives you context for how these controllers compare to other console controllers.
So, personally, I’m pretty happy with the controller situation. With a good but imperfect controller in hand, I was ready to try some games.
The library of available games is a big weakness when comparing the Apple TV to console gaming systems. There are lots of casual games that are similar to what we’ve seen on iPads and iPhones. There are a few games that fall somewhere between casual games and console-quality games. But there are very few games available for Apple TV that I would put in the “real console game” category. In fact, I can count the console quality games on one hand: Disney Infinity, Guitar Hero Live, and Skylanders SuperChargers.
But we have seen a lot of console launches over the years, and they don’t always launch with a big library of games available. The Super Nintendo, for example, had only five games available at launch. The Nintendo 64 only had two. Game libraries grow over time, so this is not the only factor to consider. Some players may choose to wait and see if this library grows. For now, it’s not great. But I do see the potential for growth.
That brings us to the most important question. How powerful is the Apple TV compared to the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Wii U? Apple is fairly secretive about technical specifications and the Apple TV hardware doesn’t lend itself to traditional benchmark tests. So, unfortunately, my testing is anecdotal.
I picked up what I thought would be the most demanding game for the Apple TV--Disney Infinity 3.0. I spent a week or so playing Disney Infinity 3.0 on the Apple TV, while also playing Disney Infinity 2.0 on the Wii U for comparison. Disney Infinity is not the most power-hungry game, by far. But it is an extremely popular series. It features 3D open-world exploration, multiple gameplay styles, and a large component that is built around custom level design.
Judging on most criteria, I found DisneyInfinity on the Apple TV to be indistinguishable from the Wii U. Graphics performance seemed identical. The general performance, frame rate, and look-and-feel of the two systems felt the same.
The one exception to this was load times. This is where things get really interesting. The Apple TV has a unique file management system. When dealing with large apps, like games, it does not download all the app data at once. It will dynamically download the data it needs as you progress through a game. If you’re not familiar with the way the Apple TV dynamically downloads app data, you might be interested in this article from Polygon, which describes the system in detail.
When the Apple TV downloads new app data, the process is fairly transparent. From the perspective of a gamer, this download time can be compared to load times.
The first time I played Disney Infinity on the Apple TV, the load times made the game virtually unplayable. It took a very long time for sections to load. Sometimes a level would load without any sound, and then, after a minute or so, the sound would kick in. But I soon discovered the cause of this issue. My internet service was not working properly. I ran some speed tests and found that I was getting 10-15Mbps download speeds when I pay for a 60Mbps service. Macbook software update. Once this problem was fixed, Disney Infinity ran great and the load times felt like any other console system. Midi controller software.
So, this is an important variable. It’s my opinion that if your internet connection is slower than 20Mbps, then you will not enjoy the Apple TV as a gaming system. You might want to run a free network speed test before picking up the Apple TV, like this or this.
I’m still not able to accurately gauge how the power of the Apple TV compares to the PlayStation 4 or Xbox One. Without benchmarks and without the availability of any really high-end games, this is hard to judge. Until developers start pushing the limits of the Apple TV, we won’t really know how powerful it is. But I do feel confident in saying that the performance of the 4th generation Apple TV is probably comparable at least to the Wii U.
Is the Apple TV a serious competitor in the game console market? No. Not yet, anyway. It comes down to the small library of console quality games. But the potential is there.
I think that Ubisoft may be the key. Ubisoft has a stable of popular characters and IPs that they are willing to leverage on multiple platforms. I hope that Rayman Adventures is Ubisoft’s first step into a larger presence on the Apple TV. If they want to, they can claim the Apple TV platform, placing Rayman as their primary mascot. If that’s successful, they may even release some Assassin’s Creed or Prince of Persia games.
EA and Rockstar could also be big developers for the Apple TV. EA already has several games in their popular sports lineup out for iOS. Rockstar has three Grand Theft Auto games available for iOS. It seems like a matter of time before either of those studios start releasing big games for Apple TV.
Last year, EA bought Popcap, a popular developer of mobile games like Peggle and Plants v. Zombies. This year, King Media, the company behind Candy Crush was acquired by Activision. Nintendo has even begun to release mobile apps. Moves like this show that big game developers are interested in bridging the gap between mobile and console markets.
Battlefront Apple Tv Series
Will we ever see something as power hungry as Star Wars Battlefront or Fallout 4 on the Apple TV? My intuition tells me “no”. But, there is a potential for huge, popular games that are not among the most technically demanding.
In the meantime, if you pick up a new Apple TV, you’ll be in the position to start enjoying a great library of casual games, like Crossy Road or Mr. Crab. With the additional purchase of a $50 game controller, you can dive into Rayman Adventures, Asphalt 8, Oceanhorn, and Galaxy on Fire: Manticore Rising – four titles that I consider to be nearly console quality. You’re also in a great position to jump into Skylanders Superchargers, Disney Infinity, or Guitar Hero Live, which are console quality games. But, since all three of those games require additional hardware, they are each sold in $100 “starter packs”.
Battlefront Apple Tv Series
With time, the Apple TV might be a real competitor in the gaming market. I’m optimistic, but I don’t see any reason to make a strong prediction in either direction.
If you’re just getting started with the Apple TV, you might want to check out my course on lynda.com, “Up and Running with Apple TV”. This course will show you how to get set up, install apps, use streaming video services and much more.