The newly-announced iPhone 16 will feature support for the latest AAA games, thanks to Apple’s new A18 chip, which promises improved performance for gaming on all new iPhone models. As revealed, iPhone 16 and 16 Plus will sport hardware-accelerated ray tracing to “more accurately represent the behaviour of light” in a range of video games.
While that includes dedicated mobile games like Honor of Kings: World, which is set to get an “ultra” graphics mode in 2025, that also includes recent releases like Assassin’s Creed Mirage and Resident Evil 4. As noted by Apple, the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus (as well as the Pro and Pro Max) are capable of playing AAA games that were previously only available on the iPhone 15 Pro and above.
The range of AAA games available for Apple mobile devices is still relatively slim, but with all new iPhone models now capable of AAA gaming, there is certainly potential for the games lineup to grow and expand. Subscription service Apple Arcade also provides more reasons to consider the iPhone a solid gaming device, with this providing access to a range of excellent mobile games, free of microtransactions and hassle.
With the A18 chip in these iPhone 16 models, you’ll be able to face down Ganados in RE4 as well as you’ll be able to hop into rounds of Balatro (and another round, and another round).
Read: Balatro launches on mobile (and Apple Arcade) this month
As detailed by Apple, gaming on the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus will also benefit from improved battery life, better processor efficiency, and better overall graphics. The iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max will be a leap above these phones, with better performance all around, but great effort has been taken to ensure the base iPhone models will be capable of fuss-free AAA gaming.
iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus: Australian Prices
For those keen to get their hands on the base iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus, here’s the price in Australia:
- iPhone 16: Starts at AUD $1,399
- iPhone 16 Plus: Starts at AUD $1,599
For a brief comparison, here’s the pricing for the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max:
- iPhone 16 Pro: Starts at AUD $1,799
- iPhone 16 Pro Max: Starts at AUD $2,149
All four phones will be available from 20 September 2024.
Elsewhere in its latest showcase, Apple has also confirmed the launch of the new AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation, new colours for the AirPods Max, a new colourway for the Apple Watch Ultra 2, and the Apple Watch Series 10, which is thinner and faster charging compared to its predecessor. You can view the full roundup of news on the Apple website.
