Microsoft will be a boost to Apple TV's success
If the rumors are true, Apple TV could very well make its first appearance tomorrow, September 9th, at San Francisco’s Bill Graham Civic 7,000-seats auditorium, where Tim Cook will introduce the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus, alongside the iPad Mini 4, and possibly, the iPad Pro, which, at least according to 9to5Mac, has been confirmed as the official name of the brand new device.
Apple TV has not seen a refresh since 2013, and its last iteration featured a single core A5 chip, barely a notch above the iPhone 4. With such limited hardware, Apple TV has lacked the ability to offer access to games, which, until now, left users with no other options but to stream their iOS devices, like iPad and iPhone, to Apple TV, using AirPlay, using a rather convoluted method that leaves out many users who may not be comfortable enough to go the extra length, to play iOS games on their bigger HDTV screens.
The upcoming update of Apple TV will feature an A8 chip, which promises to push the boundaries of home entertainment in directions previously left unexplored, including the option to play iOS games, which, until now have been the prerogative of iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad users. The new device will be most likely thicker than the current form factor, and will include a 802.11ac Wi-Fi component, a micro-USB port, an Ethernet port and an optical audio jack.
The 2015 version of Apple TV will likely come with a revamped remote, which will double as game pad controller. The remote has been rumored to feature a Force Touch trackpad similar to the latest MacBook revamps, a rocker switch to control the volume, Siri integration, a motion control accelerometer, and the casing will come in black, to match the Apple TV unit.
No 4K resolution will be supported, at least in this initial, yet major update, however, considering that support for 4K won’t come to iOS for some time, there really is no sense in holding our breath, as most of the higher-definition streaming content is delivered in HD and HDX, on most devices.
What does Microsoft have to do with the new Apple TV?
The new Apple TV will run a full version of iOS 9, which will open the doors for users to play iOS games on their big screen TVs, including Minecraft, whose free version “Minecraft Pocket Edition” has been a huge hit on Android and iOS.
Since Microsoft’s $2.5 Billion purchase of Mojang in 2014, and the release of its widely popular creation, Minecraft, to Windows Phone first, then Windows 10, over 70 million copies have been sold, which includes 20 million copies on Xbox, and 20 million copies on PC, with the remainder spread across every possible mobile platform, from Android to iOS.
Minecraft enables players to dive into a procedurally generated virtual world that is identical across all mobile and desktop operating systems, and can be played either in Creative mode, where the goal is to build within an infinite world, with no limit on resources, Survival mode, where resources must be gathered, and players must fend off for themselves against potentially hostile creatures, and Adventure mode, where players can create maps for other users to play.
Minecraft’s massive popularity will most likely play in Apple’s favor, as consumers who already have the game downloaded on their phones and tablets, begin to look for it on Apple TV, and are suddenly able to play it on their home entertainment screens, using Apple TV’s new touch-enabled remote controller.