Some rumors appear more credible than others when it comes to rumors. At least on the surface. Whether or not Apple is moving toward a future where the company's logo appears on a video game console could be on shaky ground right away.
It's 2021, and we're dealing with a report from Asia that Apple is working on a Nintendo Switch-style video game console. The initial rumor was spread by Twitter user @FrontTron (via MacRumors) after a post on a Korean forum was posted.
According to the article, Apple is developing a portable hybrid video game console, which would be a return to form. But that's something we'll talk about later.
First and foremost, there's the rumor itself. According to the poster, Apple will create an entirely new processor for this video game console, departing from the A- or M-series processors. With the chip developed specifically for gaming, the aim is to improve GPU efficiency.
It would also reportedly boost ray tracing. If that sounds familiar, it's because ray tracing is a big feature on Sony and Microsoft's current-generation consoles — but not so much on Nintendo's.
What about the competitions? Apple is reportedly in talks with companies such as Ubisoft to produce games for the console. This is odd because it sounds like Apple is attempting to obtain exclusives even before the console is out. Of course, console and PC store exclusives aren't unheard of, so Apple wouldn't be doing something out of the ordinary.
However, there is not a single word on when this product will be out. For years, Apple has been rumored to be working on something similar, but nothing has materialized. Perhaps this fact of the matter will change in the near future.
But there's more.
A throwback to the past
Apple has previously released a video game console. The Apple Bandai Pippin was first released in 1996 by the company. That, however, was not a profitable venture for the company. The product was canceled when Steve Jobs returned to Apple.
But here's the rest of the story
There was a report in April of last year that Apple was working on a video game controller specifically for the upcoming Apple TV. The latest Apple TV 4K, on the other hand, did not come with a new video game controller (it did welcome a new Siri Remote, though). So, it's likely that a new video game controller is still in development, but for a different video game console.
Perhaps! Or maybe not. It would be fun to see an Apple-branded video game console that includes games from famous franchises like Call of Duty and Apple Arcade.
