Apple is no longer limited to the sale of hardware and software: the group provides various services, especially in the streaming area, which are extremely profitable. Apple has also kept an eye on the high-volume market for video games, but Cupertino is not exactly bringing a breath of fresh air in this industry: With Apple Arcade, users get access to a quite comprehensive games catalog for 4.99 euros per month, but it has the well-known AAA -Titles are missing. Furthermore, the Apple TV is only partially suitable as a replacement for a game console. In the future, the set-top box will probably have more competition.
Apple TV with moderately interesting App Store
There are a number of ways to play video games on the television at home – but users usually have to invest a few hundred euros in a game console in order to conveniently access top-class titles. As an alternative, Cupertino brings the Apple TV into play: Interested parties can choose from a rich pool of cross-genre games via the Apple Arcade service, but well-known brands are often not represented. Aside from Apple Arcade, many applications are notable for their absence: the set-top box’s App Store is nowhere near as good as its counterpart on the iPhone or iPad. Microsoft is now targeting the market more intensely: the company has confirmed to Windows Central that it is developing a new device codenamed “Keystone”.
“Keystone” as an attractive alternative to the Apple TV
Microsoft has been working on Keystone for several years and wants to officially introduce the product in a few months. This is an offshoot of the Xbox series, which, like Google’s Chromecast, is connected to the HDMI port of a television or monitor as a dongle. The device supports Xbox Game Pass and its cloud gaming offering. Presumably, Keystone also allows other streaming apps to be downloaded. In terms of price, the device will most likely be on par with the Apple TV 4K and thus enter the ring against Apple’s set-top box. According to the analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the latter could receive an inexpensive successor in the autumn of this year. In addition, Apple has quite ambitious plans: according to a recent report, the takeover of the video game giant Electronic Arts is conceivable.
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