The next Apple TV will be a gaming powerhouse, according to recent internet rumours.
Apple last updated its media streaming box more than three years ago, in September 2017. It’s well due an upgrade, and numerous reports have suggested that we’re all set to get one some time in 2021.
The latest rumour references the internal components that will be utilised in what would be the sixth generation Apple TV. And it’s going to have serious ramifications for gaming performance, among other things.
Twitter tipster choco_bit recently tweeted:
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) October 3, 2020
This would imply that Apple is working with two new potential Apple TV models. The first would have an enhanced version of the A12 chip that debuted with the iPhone XS, and that recently found its way into the new iPad. Could this be an entry-level model – an Apple TV SE, if you will – for those who are more concerned with video content than games?
The second model would be powered by an enhanced version of the A14 chip that recently took a bow with the new iPad Air. The plain version of this chip is also expected to power the forthcoming iPhone 12 family, so it’s going to be one of the fastest mobile chips on the market over the next couple of years.
This latter model would represent a massive increase in processing power compared to the current Apple TV 4K, which runs on the A10X Fusion chip. And if you’re wondering where that leap in processing power might be utilized, Choco_bit’s tweet spells it out: games.
The tweet mentions that Apple is ploughing “BIG money” into Apple Arcade, its gaming subscription service, and that a new controller is also in the works. Whether that latter point relates to an all-new dedicated games controller, or merely suggests that the next Apple TV controller will pack new game-friendly features (which would be our guess) is unclear.
More specific is the allegation that some of the new games Apple is funding will rival Nintendo’s epic open world adventure The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild in terms of scope, which is just about as big a deal as you can get in gaming. Watch out Nintendo Switch, Sony PS5 and Microsoft Xbox Series X.