INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
4 min read Last Updated : Oct 04 2024 | 12:53 PM IST
Apple has been making strides in the gaming space
on more powerful hardware, the idea of experiencing them on a smartphone was intriguing
test, I picked up the new iPhone 16 Pro Max to evaluate its gaming prowess based purely on gameplay experience, steering clear of benchmarks
and metrics.Testing the AAA titles
I started with some of the heavier, iPhone-exclusive games like Assassin's Creed Mirage, Resident Evil
4, and Resident Evil 7: Biohazard
gaming experience on iPhones does hold up, albeit with some compromises.
It appears that developers have the freedom to decide which
aspects of the game to compromise on for optimisation
For instance, Assassin's Creed Mirage runs smoothly, with Ubisoft maintaining much of the open-world experience, but even at the highest
graphic settings, the visuals appear slightly pixelated, despite noticeable attempts to soften details.
Assassin's Creed Mirage on
terms of smoothness, particularly during scene transitions, where jitters are evident with motion blur disabled
Resident Evil 4 fared slightly better in terms of movement and transitions, likely due to its lower resolution, which frees up hardware
resources for a steadier frame rate.
Resident Evil 7 Biohazard on iPhone 16 Pro Max
I also had the chance to play Infinity Nikki,
which is still in beta at the time of writing
hardware-accelerated ray tracing
This means the GPU dedicates some cores specifically to rendering light rays, improving visual effects for lighting and shadows.
As for
thermal management, the iPhone 16 Pro Max remained surprisingly cool, with only slight warmth near the camera after an hour of gaming
The new Game Mode in iOS 18 likely contributes to this, optimising performance by prioritising game processing and limiting background
Additionally, the native support for controllers in most exclusive games is a welcome feature.
While I only tested a handful, there are
more heavy titles with their mobile versions exclusively available on iOS, including Resident Evil Village, Death Stranding: Director's Cut,
and more.Testing popular mobile games
Beyond the exclusive titles, I also tried more widely available games like Genshin Impact, Devil May
Cry: Peak of Combat, FC Mobile, and others
The iPhone 16 Pro Max offers a 120FPS mode for Genshin Impact, delivering a noticeably smoother experience than the 60FPS mode
However, prolonged play led to overheating, which caused sudden frame drops
Mobile, Devil May Cry: Peak of Combat, Injustice 2, and Real Racing 3 were easily handled by the hardware, running smoothly without any
issues.
For multiplayer titles like Battleground Mobile India (BGMI), you can select the Extreme frame rate (60FPS) option
In this setting with lower graphics, the gameplay was smooth, with minimal heating and no stuttering
However, switching to higher graphics settings, such as HDR, introduced occasional stutter and more noticeable heat.Verdict
Overall, the
consoles or dedicated gaming machinery yet, Apple is steadily closing the gap
With a growing library of exclusive titles and long-awaited support for retro gaming emulators, the iPhone 16 Pro Max has something for
every type of gamer.First Published: Oct 04 2024 | 12:47 PMIST
