Amazon, Apple, Google, Nvidia and others see a future in which TV platforms can support console gaming. These ambitions have yet to been realized but the launch INSIDE on tvOS is exactly what the Apple TV needs.

An important step
Sony, Microsoft and partly Nintendo have a firm grip of the console gaming market but new entrants are vying for a spot. Google and Nvidia are in the same boat. Android TV is designed to be a platform for TV, apps, and games but Nvidia has focused mainly on getting PC games onto the TV via a gaming PC. The company is trying to bridge the two but the project has yet to take off.

Sony and Philips also offer Android TVs but the hardware is too slow for gaming. Amazon is trying to fork Android and has established a game studio without much success.

Apple is positioning Apple TV as a streaming player, with gaming as a bonus. The software giant is encouraging iOS developers to embrace tvOS, hoping that good things will follow. In its first two years, tvOS has not been a very succesful gaming platform.

In June 2017, we published our top-10 list of the best games for Apple TV. In it, we argued that there are no ”must have” titles. We highlighted INSIDE as one of the missing pieces so we are excited that it is now available on tvOS.

Sure, the game was released more than a year ago on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 but we once again found ourselves spellbound on Apple TV. We see INSIDE as the first ”must have” game for Apple TV. And based on our initial impressions, it looks just as good on Apple TV 4K as on Xbox One and PlayStation 4.

  Also read:  Best games for Apple TV (2017)

Is this the breakthrough for gaming on Apple TV? No, but it is a step towards fulfilling Apple TV’s gaming ambitions. Apple TV 4K is not nearly as powerful as the latest Xbox and PlayStation consoles so tvOS must embrace the kind of games that demand less of the hardware but still offer an excellent gaming experience.




From the creators of LIMBO
INSIDE was nominated for ”Best Game” at the Bafta Game Awards 2017 but ultimately lost to Uncharted 4. However, it won in four other categories, including ”Best Game Design”. Danish developer Playdead says that INSIDE has won over 100 awards at Bafta, The Game Awards, D.I.C.E, Game Developers Choice etc.

Playdead has also developed LIMBO, which has received similar praise. It is not yet available on Apple TV. The studio is currently working on a third game in the series.

INSIDE is available for tvOS and iOS but works only on recent devices. Both Apple TV4 and Apple TV 4K are supported. The beginning of the game is free and it works just fine with the Siri remote (or a bluetooth game controller). The full game is a $6.99 dollar in-app purchase from the App Store.