HHW Gaming: We Played ‘Death Stranding’ On An iPhone 15 Pro Max, It Blew Our Minds

Following
the

reveal
of
Apple’s
iPhone
15
Pro
and
15
Pro
Max,
we
said
Apple
had
probably
taken
its
most
significant
step
into
the
video
game
space
with
those
devices.
After
getting
hands-on
with
some
AAA
titles
that
push
the
mightiest
gaming
console
to
the
limit
on
the
iPhone
and
other
MAC
devices,
we
are
convinced
that
Apple
has
found
its
lane
in
gaming.

While
most
people
marveled
at
the
iPhone
15
Pro
and
Pro
Max’s
new
action
button
and
camera
system,
we
couldn’t
help
but
notice
that
Apple
sneakingly
turned
its
flagship

smartphone
into
a
gaming
console.

The
idea
that
a
smartphone
could
play
demanding
AAA
games
with
almost
the
same
graphical
fidelity
as
a
console
or
PC
version
of
those
titles
used
to
be
crazy
talk.

After
seeing
and
playing

Death
Stranding:
Director’s
Cut,

Resident
Evil
4,
and

The
Division
Resurgence
on
iPhone
15
Pro
Max
powered
by
the
company’s
new
A17
Pro
and
on
the
iPad,
that
one-time
crazy
idea
is
now
a
reality.

Apple
now
has
its
gaming
ecosystem
with
the
iPhone,
iPad,
MAC
computers,
and
Apple
TV
4K.
We
saw
that
it
will
allow
gamers
to
take
gaming
action
between
different
devices
seamlessly.

Death
Stranding:
Director’s
Cut

We
didn’t
play
using
touch
controls,
but
with
a
Backbone
One,
the
game
felt
good
as
we
navigated
the
rocky
terrain
to
keep
Sam
from
falling
and
damaging
his
package.

Hideo
Kojima’s
dystopian
walking
simulator
that
sees
Sam
Porter
Bridges
(Norman
Reedus),
a
deliveryman
trying
to
deliver
packages
while
avoiding
BTs
(Beached
Things),
who
refuse
to
crossover
to
the
other
side
and
wreak
havoc
on
the
living
who
survived
the
cataclysmic
event
called
the
Death
Stranding,
is
getting
another
life
on
the
iPhone
15
Pro
and
15
Pro
Max
and
other
Apple
devices.

It
won’t
require
an
internet
connection;
the
entire
game
downloads
onto
your
Apple
device.
As
far
as
how
much
memory
it
will
gobble
up
remains
a
mystery.

Kojima’s
latest
game,
until
the
sequel
arrives,
was
a
visual
spectacle
on
the
consoles,
and
to
see
it
running
damn
near
flawlessly
on
the
iPhone
15
Pro
Max
is
mind-blowing.

We
didn’t
play
using
touch
controls,
but
with
a
Backbone
One,
the
game
felt
good
as
we
navigated
the
rocky
terrain
to
keep
Sam
from
falling
and
damaging
his
package.

It
also
looked
crisp
and
ran
smoothly
on
the
iPhone
15
Pro
Max’s
Super
Retina
XDR
display.

We
also
saw
it
running
on
a
Mac
Mini
M2
connected
to
a
large
television,
demonstrating
Apple’s
continued
advancements
in
making
its
devices
attractive
to
gamers.

Consider
us
thoroughly
intrigued
by
the
prospect
of
taking
Sam
Porter
Bridges’
adventure
on
the
go
whenever

Death
Stranding
launches
on
the
iPhone
15
Pro
and
15
Pro
Max.

Resident
Evil
4

Also,
when

Resident
Evil
4
arrives
on
December
20,
it
will
allow
you
to
continue
from
where
you
left
off
on
another
device,
thanks
to
cross-platform
progress.

Resident
Evil
4
was
another
title
we
got
to
experience
on
the
iPhone
15
Pro
Max
and
iPad,
and
yes,
it
runs
very
smoothly.
While
touchscreen
controls
are
available,
we
highly
recommend
using
the
Backbone
One
device
or
your
favorite
console
controller
for
a
proper
playthrough.

The
iPad
version
will
also
allow
you
to
remap
your
button
schemes
on
your
virtual
controller.

Also,
when

Resident
Evil
4
arrives
on
December
20,
it
will
allow
you
to
continue
from
where
you
left
off
on
another
device,
thanks
to
cross-platform
progress.

You
can
also
adjust
the
graphics
settings
like
you
could
on
a
PC.

Before
its
launch,
we
reviewed

Resident
Evil
4
and
proclaimed
that

no
studio
currently
is
making
better
remakes
than
Capcom.
When
it
arrives
this
year,
we
shall
see
if
the
full
game
delivers
that
same
greatness
on
the
iPhone
15
Pro
Max
and
other
Apple
devices.

Tom
Clancy’s
The
Division
Resurgence 

While
the
touchscreen
controls
are
very
responsive,
we
highly
recommend
controller
use
for
this
one,
combined
with
the
touch
features
for
navigation…

Another
game
that
showcased
the
iPhone
15
Pro
and
Pro
gaming
capabilities
was

Tom
Clancy’s
The
Division
Resurgence.

Ubisoft’s
mobile
take
on
its
popular
looter/shooter
franchise
didn’t
feel
like
a
mobile
knockoff
but
a
full-fledged
game
that
just
happens
to
be
on
your
smartphone.

We
got
to
experience
the
game
using
the
touch
controls
on
the
iPhone
15
Pro
Max’s
screen,
and
it
was,
at
times,
confusing,
but
there
are
dedicated
buttons
for
actions
like
vaulting,
shooting,
and
opening
crates.

Resurgence’s
menus
can
be
overwhelming
to
first-time
Division
players,
but
they
are
a
breeze
to
navigate
for
veterans.

While
the
touchscreen
controls
are
very
responsive,
we
highly
recommend
controller
use
for
this
one,
combined
with
the
touch
features
for
navigation,
which
is
a
nice
touch
if
you’re
playing

Resurgence
via
the
iPad,
as
we
did
during
the
preview.

We
got
to
experience
some
side
missions
and
one
of
the
game’s
campaign
missions,
in
which
we
faced
a
very
challenging
boss
who
required
multiple
attempts
before
we
finally
defeated
him.

We
look
forward
to
playing

The
Division
Resurgence
again
when
the
regional
beta
arrives
on
November
16.

Sonic
Dream
Team

It
definitely
plays
like
a
much
prettier
version
of

Temple
Run
or
2013’s

Sonic
Dash.

Following
its
surprise
announcement,
Sonic
Dream
Team
is
a
more
traditional
mobile
gaming
experience
that
Apple
hopes
will
boost
its
Apple
Arcade
library
due
to
its
exclusivity.

The
game
is
beautifully
designed,
and
the
colors
pop
off
the
screen.
However,
it
doesn’t
feel
like
your
typical
Sonic
game
because
the
camera
is
so
far
away
from
Sonic
and
the
other
playable
characters.

It
definitely
plays
like
a
much
prettier
version
of

Temple
Run
or
2013’s

Sonic
Dash.
It’s
another
game
that
might
take
some
serious
getting
used
to
using
on-screen
controls.

Sonic
Dream
Team
will
arrive
at
the
Apple
Arcade
on
December
5.

Apple’s
future
in
gaming
is
very
bright,
and
the
company
is
making
a
valiant
effort
to
turn
its
popular
devices
that
gamers
will
happily
use
over
all
the
other
options.

The
idea
of
playing
seamlessly
across
your
iPhone,
iPad,
Apple
TV,
and
MAC
computers
is
a
reality,
and
Apple
must
be
taken
quite
seriously
in
video
games.
We
haven’t
even
seen
what
things
will
look
like
when
the
Apple
Vision
Pro
arrives,
which
Apple
also
has
plans
to
use
in
its
new
gaming
ecosystem.

—

Photo:
Bernard
Smalls
/
Apple
/
SEGA