Rumors regarding Apple and their foray into the gaming realm never seem to go away. Based on past experience, that almost certainly means they’re working on something in secret, but that in no way guarantees that their classified undertaking will ever see the light of day. Quite the contrary, in fact. Companies (especially big ones like Apple), often invest immense amounts of money into R&D and are always trying to create a new product (or product category) out of thin air. 

This Cupertino-based tech giant isn’t always the first to the party, but their products invariably bring a level of polish and execution you simply can’t get anywhere else as evidenced by the iPhone, iPad, and the Apple Watch. As is so often the case, it’s not about being first but rather about providing the most complete experience, and that is precisely what Apple excels at. They’re often tied to a myriad of top-secret projects and rumors, including Apple Glasses (their take on AR/VR but for the masses), Apple Car (an autonomous/electric vehicle), along with a slew of other products and concepts, both big and small.

Gaming, however, is something that Apple has supposedly been interested in tackling for quite a while. They’ve yet to make any public move or announcement, but they’re surely well aware of the immense potential present within the field, and are probably looking to get in on the action. That’d be a wholly new direction for the company, and is undoubtedly an avenue worth exploring. Apple likes to gauge interest first and only when there’s a big enough demand will they engage and bring a new product into existence. That way they can minimize their losses and deliver the kind of product end users actually want, instead of just improvising without any plan in mind (we’re looking at you OUYA). 

So what have they supposedly been working on?

According to the latest rumors, Apple has been developing a hybrid gaming console akin to the Nintendo Switch. That, in short, makes a lot of sense which definitely gives this rumor a fair bit of credence. Although, as always, take everything you read with a grain of salt. 

Apple doesn’t have the hardware nor the software to truly take on the likes of Sony and Microsoft. But Nintendo’s hybrid formula is not only easier to replicate, but it’s also been far more successful. Nintendo has sold over 80 million units thus far, which means the Switch is on pace to outperform the wildly successful Nintendo Wii. Let that one sink in. Gaming in front of large TVs is still the superior experience, but sometimes you just want to take your games with you and game on the go, whether that’s in line at the supermarket or on your daily commutes. And, frankly, most folks couldn’t care less for the 720p screen or the comparatively underpowered internals — the Switch is the very definition of fun, and its benefits and strengths far outweigh any inherent weaknesses it might have.

So, by and large, it’s probably the best route for Apple to take. Moreover, they have all the right tools and resources to pull it off, not to mention a pre-existing ecosystem that puts all other tech companies and hardware manufacturers to shame. 

Apple would need a meager amount of effort to tie it all together with a hybrid gaming console which is probably what they’re thinking as well. 

Finally, there’s yet another reason why a potential gaming console from Apple makes sense: their hardware.

It’s no secret that Apple has ushered in a new era of computing with their ARM-based SoCs. Their M1 is quite literally the most powerful SoC on the market given its thermal envelope. It is insanely efficient but also powerful, and can even be cooled passively, as evidenced by the latest Macbook Air. In other words, it puts both Intel and AMD to shame. We knew that ARM was the future for quite a while now, but to see it in action before our very eyes is what truly sealed the deal.

Moreover, we know for a fact that Apple has opened a “Pandora’s box” of sorts, although we mean this in the best possible sense. They’re reportedly going to ship two, three, and even four times more powerful SoCs in the near future, which means they’re all but guaranteed to become a venerable trailblazer for all things ARM. 

But here comes the most interesting bit: their integrated graphics (the ones that are “baked” into the M1) are perfectly sufficient for running World of Warcraft: Shadowlands. We’re talking about a phenomenal gaming performance without any fan noise whatsoever (with seven integrated GPU cores instead of eight that are present on the Macbook Pro and Mac Mini). Plus, Apple’s M2 will supposedly come with double the GPU power which begs the question: why not create an SoC specifically for gaming? It makes all the sense in the world, and pulling it off wouldn’t require a whole lot of engineering or R&D. 

We know for a fact that mobile gaming is the future. The only question now is: who’ll be the first to truly capitalize on this “trend?” Qualcomm is supposedly working on a Switch-like console of their own, so it stands to reason that Apple would join the fray as well.