There was once a time when the video game industry was fraught with competition over platforms. Home consoles battled with arcade machines for supremacy, and handheld devices cropped up in all kinds of forms. Nowadays, things couldn't be more different. The Xbox, the PlayStation, and the Nintendo console family all reign supreme in the world of console gaming. These three have cemented themselves as the definitive groups of gaming devices. Nevertheless, rumor has it that tech giant Apple wants to put that stranglehold to the test. According to an industry insider, Apple might be in the process of developing its own game console.
Apple certainly has the wealth and technological expertise to try developing a game console, considering the overwhelming success of the iPhone and the Mac line of computers. Apple's experience and resources may not be enough to break into the industry, however. If the Apple console rumors are true, then Apple will only be the latest in a long line of tech companies who have tried to break into the game console market and struggled to find purchase. An Apple console would need some serious technological advancements or breathtaking exclusive games to attract users, but considering how far Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo have come, creating those features will be no small feat.
Recent Game Console Attempts
In the last few years, some major tech companies have made earnest attempts to establish themselves as members of the video game industry. In 2019, Google tried to find a place for itself in the gaming market with the cloud gaming device known as Google Stadia, but Stadia received some mixed reviews on launch and has since failed to attract as much support as the Xbox or PlayStation. Amazon has also struggled with gaming. Cloud gaming service Amazon Luna doesn't turn many heads from consumers, and Amazon Game Studios has faced difficulties in its attempts to support games like Crucible and New World.
Amazon and Google have made revolutionary impacts on the world's relationship with technology, but even so, this somehow hasn't translated into a sudden rise to the top of the game industry. Video game fans have proven comfortable with their Xbox, PlayStation, and Switch consoles. These users have little reason to switch to Stadia or Luna, especially considering how Microsoft and Sony have expanded into cloud gaming. If Apple wants to avoid repeating the lukewarm reception to Stadia and Luna, it needs to make its own console special somehow, but what exactly it should do isn't clear.
How Could an Apple Console Stand Out?
There are multiple ways in which Apple could try to make a truly special console, but none of them seem like perfectly reliable ways to become competitive with the main console developers. Apple could try making a console that pushes the boundaries of VR, cloud gaming, haptic feedback technology, rendering power, and so on, but other console developers are already exploring these areas and more, meaning Apple's console wouldn't be nearly as unique as it might like to be. Apple could also try to make attractive exclusive games, but it would need a lot of outside help to avoid Amazon's struggles. Even if Apple tries to buy known game developers, studios may not be keen on gambling their futures on Apple console exclusivity.
If there's anything that could give an Apple console an edge, it's Apple's close relationship with mobile gaming through the App Store. Maybe Apple will develop a handheld console that has special support for mobile games, but even then, it might be hard to convince mobile gaming fans to start using a specific console for their games instead of the iOS device they already have. Ultimately, even though Apple and its peers are massive companies, history has proven that Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo have thoroughly dominated the console market. They're too rooted in consumers' minds to budge easily. Should Apple have a console in the works, it'll be interesting to see how Apple tries to set its product apart.