At an Apple event today, the Cupertino-based technology company behind many of the world’s most ubiquitous devices revealed new iterations of those devices, including a new iPad model. The new iPad Pro was shown off on stage, with vice president of hardware engineering John Ternus making comparisons to modern consoles for the tablet device.
“To put it another way,” Ternus said while the slide on the screen behind him changed to show a picture of Microsoft’s white Xbox One S, “the iPad Pro delivers Xbox One S-class graphics performance in a product that’s 94% smaller.” Amid the applause, he adds “And there’s no AC cord required.”
When Microsoft’s gaming chief Phil Spencer was pinged on Twitter about the comment, he was definitely encouraging of a future where mobile devices can play with consoles.
I liked the reference to XB1S in the announce, Apple stepping up the iPad Pro for some great Xbox to iPad cross-play matches, nice.
— Phil Spencer (@XboxP3) October 30, 2018
It’s interesting to note that Apple didn’t shy away from the comparison at all, similar to Huawei directly comparing their phone to Nintendo Switch. While tablets are still not ideal for gaming the same way consoles are, if only for heat reasons, Microsoft does seem keen on handling the control aspect of it.
You can watch the entirety of the Apple conference here.
