Apple recently unveiled its highly anticipated A17 Pro System-on-Chip (SOC), ushering in a new era for iPhone gaming. The standout feature of this SOC is the introduction of hardware-accelerated ray tracing support, which promises to deliver stunning visual experiences previously reserved for high-end gaming consoles and PCs. Alongside ray tracing, the A17 Pro boasts MetalFX upscaling capabilities, a combination that is set to elevate gaming on iPhones to new heights.
During the Apple event, several key announcements were made, emphasizing the power of the A17 Pro SOC. This new chip boasts a cutting-edge Apple-designed shader architecture with six cores, delivering a remarkable 20% increase in performance compared to its predecessor. Efficiency and mesh shading have also seen significant improvements, ensuring a smoother and more immersive gaming experience.
Apple’s foray into hardware-accelerated ray tracing follows Samsung’s unveiling of a similar feature in its Galaxy S23 lineup, which leverages AMD’s RDNA 2 graphics technology. It’s worth noting that Samsung is rumored to have plans for a future smartphone family featuring RDNA 3 graphics, suggesting fierce competition in the smartphone gaming arena.
One of the most impressive claims made by Apple is that the A17 Pro offers four times the performance in ray-traced applications. This was demonstrated through a comparison between a software-based solution, which struggled to maintain a sub-10 FPS frame rate, and the hardware-accelerated ray tracing, which consistently delivered 30 FPS.
Apple also highlights its thriving App Store and Gaming ecosystem, which not only brings high-quality apps to users but also supports top-notch handheld controllers, including the PS5’s DualSense wireless controller. Moreover, Apple’s iPhone 15 Pro series will introduce MetalFX upscaling, a technology that has seen widespread adoption in the PC and console space. MetalFX enhances gaming performance by delivering faster frame rates while optimizing power consumption, ultimately extending battery life. This technology taps into both the GPU cores and Neural Engine cores, boasting 16 cores and up to 2 times the performance of the previous generation, with an impressive AI compute power rating of up to 35 TOPs.
In terms of gaming content, Apple is partnering with industry giants Ubisoft and Capcom to bring AAA titles to iPhone gamers. Gamers can look forward to experiencing titles like Resident Evil IV Remake and Resident Evil VIII Village on their iPhones by the end of the year, with Death Stranding also set to launch for the iPhone 15 Pro series. Additionally, Assassin’s Creed Mirage is slated for release in the first half of 2024.
Ubisoft is also planning to release The Division: Resurgence early in 2024, followed by a native gameplay experience of the highly anticipated Assassin’s Creed Mirage. These partnerships indicate Apple’s commitment to delivering a diverse and exciting gaming portfolio to its users.
With the A17 Pro SOC and its groundbreaking features, Apple is poised to make a significant impact on the mobile gaming landscape, offering iPhone users a truly immersive and high-performance gaming experience.
