New Apple TV will look similar, but thicker (image via Michael Steeber)
Although iOS devices and the App Store have transformed the handheld gaming market, the first three Apple TV generations did not attempt to challenge Microsoft’s Xbox, Nintendo’s Wii, or Sony’s PlayStation game consoles for complete control of living room TVs. According to sources with knowledge of the product, the fourth-generation Apple TV will actively compete for TV gamers with updated hardware, software, and peripherals that will debut at Apple’s September 9 event in San Francisco.
One of the next Apple TV’s tentpole features will be near-universal Siri control, a feature hinted at in Apple’s invitation to the event. But the other will be deep support for gaming, representing Apple’s largest-ever effort to lure players from traditional consoles. In addition to the convenience of downloading games directly from the Apple TV’s built-in App Store, and controlling many of them via a new bundled remote control, Apple will also support more complex, console-style Bluetooth game controllers with the pressure-sensitive buttons and joysticks previously introduced for iPhones, iPads, and iPod touches…
As we reported earlier this year, the newly bundled Apple TV remote control will include both tactile physical buttons and a touchpad interface. According to sources, one of the dedicated buttons will be a Home button, while another will be for activating the integrated microphone, triggering Siri control of the Apple TV. A source who has used the product says that “you can navigate [mostly everything] on the new Apple TV [solely] using the new Siri button.” The source also called the deep integration of Siri a “main focus” for the new box, as its convenience will appeal to non-gamers and gamers alike.
Apple’s new Siri remote, akin to the current Apple Remote, will utilize a standard replaceable battery so users will not need to frequently recharge the device like an iPhone or Apple Watch. For gaming purposes, the remote control will have the built-in motion sensors introduced in the iPhone, as first noted by TechCrunch, so that it can be used as a steering wheel for car racing titles and similar games. Importantly, however, the controller is said to connect to the Apple TV over Bluetooth, rather than using a sensor bar with IR support. As a result, the Apple TV’s support for motion controls is unlikely to include a system navigation and pointing interface akin to Nintendo’s Wii.
Like the brand new iPod touch introduced this year, the taller, thicker Apple TV will likely support the latest Bluetooth 4.2 and 802.11ac wireless standards for improved power consumption, data speeds, and signal reliability. Serious gamers will have the ability to choose between multiple controllers for the Apple TV, including the packed-in remote and third-party Bluetooth gaming controllers. Last year, we profiled the controversy surrounding official Bluetooth controllers for Apple devices, discussing how high pricing and limited functionality were leading to modest interest from consumers. Now that the Apple TV will support both downloadable games and game controllers, it seems likely that both software developers and peripheral makers will work to improve their products.
Besides Siri support, an App Store, a gaming focus, and a new remote control, the new Apple TV will include a refreshed user interface and an iOS 9 core for its operating system. The new box will be announced alongside the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus at an event on September 9th. The new living room appliance will then ship in October for between $149 and $199. Stay tuned, as we’ll have even more details on the new products as the event approaches.
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This is very exciting – I’m looking forward to watching the keynote.
I do hope the rumored App Store will allow apps like Plex to play non-Apple video files such as .mkv and .avi on the new Apple TV.
Not a chance. Well maybe when Hell freezes over.
Well it looks like hell just froze over @lkrupp215 : http://9to5mac.com/2015/09/12/popular-media-streaming-client-plex-is-coming-to-the-new-apple-tv/ VLC also planning the same. http://9to5mac.com/2015/09/14/vlc-for-apple-tv/.
> I do hope the rumored App Store will allow apps like Plex to play non-Apple video files such as .mkv and .avi on the new Apple TV.
iOS has the same problem, and Plex handles that just fine*. I doubt the Apple TV version would be any different.
*The app is only half of the setup. You’ll still need to run the Plex server somewhere else, and the server will convert those files to a format that Apple TV can handle. Just as it does today for iOS, Roku, etc.
.avi? LOL. Who in their right mind wants .avi? That crap from Microsoft (1992!) should die even faster than Flash!
I agree about .avi. However some of us have some old TV shows like Seinfeld in .avi that we want to watch occasionally. Being able to play them on the new Apple TV will be nice.
I’m looking forward to watching the even on Thursday the 9th September as well so excited.
I bet this one will cost around 299 to 399$…
Let’s hope so. If that would be the case then it would mean that Apple designed it with an A8X SoC updated with PowerVR 7 GPUs or directly an A9X and raised the clock to 2.5GHz or 3GHz and overall TDP maybe 50Watt or more.. then 64GB SSD or 128GB SSD, full gaming pad controller, 4GB or 8GB RAM. That would be enough to kill the slow obsolete fake next-gen AMD APU Jaguar powered crap Playstation4 and XBoxOne.
There’s no chance an A9X even comes close to a PS4 are you nuts? The PS4 has 176GB/s system bandwidth on 8GB of GDDR5. The top-end PowerVR only half the TFLOPs of the GPU on the AMD GCN and it’s less capable. You think Apple can fit a 2.5-3Ghz PowerVR7 top end chip, with 8GB of GDDR5, and 8 x86 cores, in the form factor of an Apple TV? What are they going to do, stick liquid nitrogen in it to cool it? This is a pure casual gamer console. It’ll be RAM limited alone. I predict Apple puts 2-3GB in it, nothing close to the 8GB GDDR5 the PS4 has, which is absolutely essential to large, detailed, open world games.
Slow obsolete next-gen consoles? Have you even looked at Until Dawn, MGS V, Uncharted 4? You think this Apple TV is going to run Starwars Battlefront at the same fidelity of a PS4/XBox1?
Dream on!
Looking forward to upgrading. Our older Apple TV has been resetting itself every now and then.
If I had to guess model & prices:
Apple TV with 64gb for $149
Apple TV with 128gb for $199
That’d be cool.
HAHA.. you wish! flash memory wouldn’t be that cheap. they would lose money on every device at that price.
Isn’t it always interesting when people quote a price they are willing to pay when they have absolutely no idea what it actually costs to make the device. There has to be some psychology term for that wishful thinking. In any event whatever the price turns out to be the usual suspects will be here in force to claim no one will buy the ‘overpriced’ device.
Wonder if it’ll handle multiple accounts nicely? Or does each family member need their own AppleTV to play iOS games on it in their own iCloud accounts?
If I designed it, it would have Touch ID on the remote, and multiple users, and each user could seamlessly sign in to their particular setup, including parental settings active when a child picks up the remote and touch IDs in. You pick up the remote, use Touch ID, it brings you in, with your setup. You sit the remote down, and after it locks, and another user picks up the remote, it instantly and seamlessly is now on their exact settings and logged into their iCloud account.
Replacing batteries IS NOT better than simply recharging the remote. Look at the PS3/PS4, I’d rather recharge the controller than have to buy new batteries all the time.
If the remote dies while using it, you have no way to control the device immediately if it needs to be recharged right away. The solution would be to include the c123 rechargeable battery that is user replaceable or allow it to recharge via usb.
How the frick are you going to keep on controlling the device while swapping this user replaceable battery?
Here’s my hunches:
1. iPads and iPhones will have apps that do the same things, so many people will opt to use them instead of the included remote.
2. The included remote will be different from the gaming controller, so you can buy a gaming controller that works like other consoles’ controllers with recharging.
3. The battery life may be very good, similar to the life on Apple’s bluetooth keyboards. (That said… it’s hard to imagine Apple opting for AA batteries, given how thick that would make the remote–so hopefully bbydon is right.)
The Apple remote may yet be a very simple device. With the emphasis being on 3rd party controllers for true game support. No doubt the new AppleTV will probably have a USB port on it, capable of recharging such a device.
I’d make a remote optional. Most people always have their iPhone or iPad in hand, right? Using one (or all) of them as a remote seems pretty simple, and reduces the amount of electronic garbage to lose in my house. Heck, even let a Mac or PC control the thing.
Also, IR support is nice for those of us who already have a lousy Comcast IR remote that wants to do everything. Continuing to support any IR remote, like the current Apple TV, will allow for continued basic operation with “legacy” (craptastic) remotes.
rechargeable batteries.
If the remote has a touch screen, I think power would probably not last more than a week. Also, standard replaceable battery would make it too bulky.
The best option would be inductive charging. Put the remote on top of the Apple TV (or whatever they will call it) and it will be recharged over night.
Love the inductive charging idea.
Touch screen or touch pad? Any guess on which it will be? I figure, in either case, there will probably be an app and many users will opt for that.
Great idea for charging. Could see them selling a separate dock to put on the end table for charging the remote. That is more Apple’s style.
So excited for the new Apple TV, my biggest wish: universal search.
You’ll get it, because iOS 9 adds spotlight support for 3rd party apps. And actually, it’s even more exciting than that. Apple has built it’s own search engine as well. I’m surprised more news outlets haven’t picked up on this.
Price points – so the XboxOne and PS4 are in the $500 range, while the Chromestick is almost free ($30 list price).
If this is indeed going to be a gaming device, I’d expect closer to $300, which is still disruptive to the other consoles – however, I don’t expect the new ATV to really compete in the hardcore gaming market, more likely, it’s just going to be social games and the like (i.e., rock band, tetris, etc as opposed to CoD4).
So perhaps $200 (with controllers being extra). Cheap enough to be disruptive, expensive enough to justify apps. Hopefully they don’t require the big-brother-ish camera like the Xbox Kinnect required. I’m not going to buy something that tells everyone what my living room looks like in real-time.
Bluetooth is the way to go! I never messed with the stupid IR remote. I got a Logitech rechargeable Bluetooth keyboard and it worked like a dream. Frustrating both PS4 and XBox One are missing Bluetooth.
If this thing can double as an Airport Express with 802.11ac (think iOS Hotspot, but using Ethernet instead of LTE as the WAN interface), I will be buying several on day one.
After all, (1) the iPhone/iPad/Touch is pretty much the same as the Apple TV but with more complicated networking and display hardware, and (2) the current 3+ year old Airport Express is great but could use an 802.11ac upgrade.
If not, well, I’ll wait and see.
I think built in Airport would be a killer feature for HomeKIt intergration.
Should be interesting to see if they will still call it Apple TV seeing as it will be more than just a TV box. My money’s on a rename to Apple Home or Apple Hub or Apple Box. Hopefully not Apple Pippin. ;)
They could just name it APPLE 4. Without the TV. Being a gaming console and not just a TV device.
I have a feeling this event migh be boring if it’s a bunch of 3rd party developers on stage demoing games. I really hope Apple keeps the third-party demos to a minimum.
Hopefully the gaming experience will allow users to start a game on their iPhone or other iOS device and then resume on the Apple TV just like with video and music expanding on the way Sony does this minimally with the PlayStation and the PSVita and PlayStation TV. Or extend the gameplay by having parts of the games taking place on the Apple TV and an iPhone/iPad at the same time. That would be a killer feature.
I think you might enjoy the Wii U
Yes with its 5 total games
You mean continuity, Apple products already do this. As for games being playable on iPhone/iPad and ATV concurrently, you can do something similar already via Airplay mirroring. I’m sure Apple will expand on this feature with the new far more powerful ATV hardware.
Is this Apple’s own version of the Amazon Fire TV? I dont see how Apple can do gaming for $199. Will it just run iOS games? for $199, you won’t have much storage space. There’s so many problems using touchscreen games with traditional physical controllers. if it’s just iOS games and without any big budget console games, I dont see many “hardcore” gamers being attracted to the device. if it’s casual iOS games, I dont see how that would be fun with physical controls.
Gaming is a red herring. Android boxes have been trying this for years with zero success. Why play a graphically basic and simplistic mobile game on your TV? Just use your PS4 or Xbox One and play a real game.
Also, relying on poor third party controllers is another bad move. A standardised controller which ships with the system is vital.
Then there is the issue of storage (a PS4 game is 20-50gb), and GPU power. There isn’t a mobile chip on the planet which is anywhere near the power of the GPU in the PS4.
Agree with the controller needing to be intelligently designed (unlike every MFi controller). However, the best games ever made were during the PS1-PS2 days, and they were far more simplistic. The originality then was insane. Now it’s the same crap games rehashed year after year. No originality, no original gameplay.
Meta Gear Solid V is out today which sounds like the best open world game to date. While it’s true that there are fewer genres in big budget games than there used to be, (indies do the original stuff on Steam and PS4 now) to say the bet games are behind is seems foolish. Try The Witcher 3, it’s a superb, and absurdly huge RPG.
Major failure by Apple as I said would happen. The focus is on gaming which I knew it would be as that’s the only kind of apps you’d want on a TV device. The failure being that they didn’t build their own gaming controller or allow customers to use a PS4 controller. They are too stupid to realize that the #1 by far most important part about gaming is the gaming controller, and every single third party controller is an embarrassment to intelligent design. If they wanted to actually make something great all they had to do was make their own controller or allow people to connect a PS4 controller.
Another failure is replaceable battery in the new remote.. Seriously? My vision would be magnetic inductive charging on the top part of the remote control so you could have a cord with the magnetic tip to just snap onto the top part of the remote for two reasons, one, because it’s far more convenient, and because it would put users in the habit of putting the remote back on the charger when they are finished, and it would get lost much less frequently (yes there will be ping the remote, but it’s still easier to not lose it in the first place and always know exactly where it is).
Major failure by Apple? They haven’t announced anything.
If we know anything about Gurman, it’s that he is highly accurate with his leaks. He’s saying expect Bluetooth controllers (I.e. The garbage MFi controllers already shipping). You can’t get anywhere with gaming on a TV without a great, first party controller that everyone is well aware of, and it works perfectly with all games. I’d allow a third party controller if that controller was the PS4 controller,other than that, they’re all garbage (the Xbox is good but its proprietary).
you need to be able to seamlessly play a game like clash of clans on the apple tv then continue it on your phone. Have remotes that you wont lose in your couch cushion. maybe have an always listening feature so i can ask siri questions even when the tv isn’t on. have 4k streaming, an appstore, and a real cheap tv watching option like 15 dollars a month for basic tv. now that would be an upgrade
If Apple do a Wii like controller then please put a sturdy wrist band on it too. Apple hand held devices tend to be very slippery.
Between the new phone and the Apple TV they have a lot to talk about in only 2 hours. Which one of the two will take the bulk of the time?
Apple Watch integration could be killer here. Think about these use cases:
ATV that knows when I’m in the room using Bluetooth LE and suggests relevant programming or implements actions for HomeKit enabled hardware (lights on at my preferred “cinema” setting when I’m in the room)? Gesture control built in using accelerometers? Voice control using microphone? Hell, you could track my excitement based on my pulse and better suggest programs I’d be into watching based on my heart rate. An Apple Watch and this new touch remote could create virtual arms for gaming. Whatever this new remote is, all of the suggested functionality is easily replicated and made more personal to the user by delegating it to the Watch and making interaction easy and seamless. That is IF they can work the UX so I can access this functionality with a swipe from the clock face without opening the app via home screen.
But like many others, I mostly care that I can use something like inFuse or Plex natively, something I wouldn’t be surprised that Apple will allow via the App Store as it would create leverage against lethargic content owners unwilling to participate in streaming package as it may affect other revenue streams. The bonus for us users is we will be able to use the above apps whether we want to use a streaming service or not.
I’m very ready for this particular announcement, I hope it actually happens this time.
How about iPhone and iPad as game controllers. Wouldn’t that be a blast?