Apple May Be Entering The Console Wars

Last week's announcement that Microsoft had purchased Activision Blizzard for the steep price of $68.7 billion was not only one of the hugest news stories in gaming history, but also a clear statement of intent on behalf of Xbox to the rest of the industry. Though Xbox head Phil Spencer has gone on record to downplay any existing console war between his company and the competition — Sony and Nintendo — that war undoubtedly still exists when it comes to console-exclusive content. It's only natural that other companies as big as Microsoft might want to join in as well.

For a while, tech giant Apple has been a peripheral figure in the world of gaming. Beginning in 2019, the company launched Apple Arcade, a video game subscription service offering iPhone and iPad users more than 200 games for a $4.99 per-month price point. Apple has put a considerable amount of money into the project and it seems to have been worth it, with the service raking in an estimated $370 million in 2020. However, that's not all Apple might have planned for the future. If recent reports of new hires are to be believed, Apple might be ready to be the newest player in the neverending console wars.

On a recent episode of the "Xbox Two" podcast, video game journalist Jez Corden claimed that Apple plans to develop its own console following the acquisition of several former Xbox staffers. "I've been hearing for a while that Apple has been poaching Xbox engineers to make its own console," Corden said. Corden went on to explain that whispers of Apple entering the console space have persisted "for ages," though the concept has always remained speculative.

While Corden conceded that any future Apple gaming innovation could be in direct competition with the likes of Facebook's (Meta) Metaverse or in the VR realm, he doubled down on the "console" terminology, insisting that this is what Apple has planned. 

Though there is sure to be some concern from the gaming community about yet another tech giant entering the space, especially in the fallout of Microsoft's huge acquisition, the idea of Apple creating its own console is certainly intriguing. Other companies such as Sony, Nintendo, and the aforementioned Microsoft have decades of equity and experience in the realm of console gaming, and Apple would need to create something special to keep up with modern standards.