You may not realize it, but your iPhone is a much more powerful gaming device than you think. It can handle more than just your typical mobile games.
Gaming on iPhone offers unique advantages over traditional console gaming. From easy access to games on the go to the wide variety of apps available, iPhone can replace your dedicated gaming console and give you a flexible and enjoyable gaming experience. Switching to iPhone gaming can provide you with a wide range of entertainment options at a lower cost and quality. Here’s how I’ve used my iPhone as my primary gaming device and how you can make the switch too. Check out the factors that hold me back from buying a portable gaming console and what I prefer.
Playing old games using emulators
Many people don’t realize that they can relive their childhood memories by playing their favorite old games on their iPhone. There are a lot of emulators available for your iPhone, and you can enjoy games from gaming consoles like Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, PlayStation, Playstation Portable, and many more.
I really enjoy the simplicity of games from that era, and the best part is that they don't suffer from the traditional mobile gaming issues, like in-game ads and microtransactions.
Through emulation, I can play games from major studios and also experience games that I missed as a kid. Being able to play classic Pokémon games right on my iPhone is an absolute plus for me, and there’s a huge library to explore, so I don’t think I’ll ever get bored or run out of games to play.
I would love to see emulators for gaming consoles like Nintendo Switch, Wii, and PS2. Unfortunately, they aren't available yet due to App Store restrictions on developers.
I use cloud gaming services to play games from big studios (AAA).
If you have a large library of AAA games on your PC, you can probably play most of those titles on your iPhone using a cloud gaming service like Nvidia’s GeForce NOW. These services run the game on servers equipped with powerful graphics cards and stream it directly to your iPhone, allowing you to enjoy AAA games at high frame rates and resolutions.
However, since you're not running the game locally on your device, you'll need a good Wi-Fi or 5G connection to avoid interruptions.
I usually use GeForce NOW to play Fortnite on my iPhone since it’s not available on the App Store due to the Epic Games lawsuit against Apple. I consider this a blessing in disguise, as I now play the full PC version of Fortnite on my iPhone, along with other popular games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Call of Duty: Warzone.
If you have an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription, you can also play hundreds of games available through your subscription on your iPhone via Xbox Cloud Gaming. While there are many great cloud gaming services out there, I personally recommend GeForce Now the most because it has a free tier and offers the best library in my experience.
The App Store now has a good selection of games.
In recent years, Apple has been promoting games across its entire product lineup, encouraging developers to port their games to the Mac, iPad, and iPhone. You can now play games like Resident Evil: Village And Assassin’s Creed: Mirage Directly on your iPhone.
Unfortunately, these ports require an iPhone 15 Pro, which not everyone has. But don't worry, the App Store offers plenty of excellent games that rival console games in both graphical fidelity and gameplay.
A prominent example is Genshin Impactwhich is the most visually impressive game I've seen running natively on the iPhone. It looks like a proper AAA game. There are also games like Call of Duty: Warzone Mobilewhich, while less graphically impressive, offers very similar gameplay mechanics to its PC counterpart.
If you have a Netflix subscription, you can access a full library of games, including the definitive versions of the GTA Trilogy and Hadeswhich I highly recommend. You can also search for games on Apple Arcade, which offers over 200 games with no in-app purchases or ads. Apple Arcade is included with your Apple One subscription, but you can also purchase it separately. Check out the best Apple Arcade games you should be playing right now.
I connected my iPhone to the controller.
One of the main problems with mobile games is the touch controls, which often take up a lot of screen space and feel heavy and uncomfortable. Fortunately, all of the games I mentioned above have full controller support. You can connect a controller to your iPhone and play the games just like you would on a console.
For a better experience, you can connect your iPhone to the TV and pair it with a controller to create a complete gaming setup. If you prefer a more portable option, I highly recommend the controller. Backbone Onewhich turns your iPhone into a portable gaming device similar to the Nintendo Switch.
While my iPhone meets most of my gaming needs, everyone’s preferences vary depending on the games they like to play. I highly recommend giving your iPhone a try to see if it can meet all your needs and expectations. You can now check out our guide to choosing the perfect controller for a great gaming experience.
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