Just because Apple doesn't think of the Apple TV as a console doesn't mean that that game makers have to agree isn't one — or that it isn't one.
Here, just several weeks after its release, how does the Apple TV stack up against consoles? In short, rather well.
How do multiplatform games look on the new Apple TV compared to their console counterparts? It depends on the game — and how good you are at noticing details.
We already answered that question when we looked at Guitar Hero Live. Side by side, it's effectively identical on Apple tv and PS4. But, of course, impressive as Guitar Hero Live may be, full motion video and a scrolling note highway aren't graphical powerhouses.
Disney Infinity 3.0 Skylanders SuperChargers offered an opportunity to compare bona fide console games — rich, fully 3D games, of the kind you’d expect to see on on a Nintendo, Microsoft or Sony device.
Do the look the same as the latest generation of consoles? No. They look somewhat diminished. But that’s not surprising, given the hardware. And it's not always apparent, as you're playing the game. I had to look at levels side by side to realize that draw distances aren't and particle effects weren't as jazzy on the Apple TV as they were eve on the Xbox 360.
Again, that's not surprising, given the relative power of the Apple TV's gaming competitors. But it seems reasonable to mark this for follow up later. These are the first, big console games to hit the Apple TV. Anyone who's had a PS4 or Xbox One since launch will know how much better games started looking after game makers became adept with the hardware.
Since its debut in late October, we've been putting the new Apple TV through its paces, with games big and small, mobile and console. No, the new Apple TV still isn’t a video game console, But yes, I can say without hesitation that the new Apple TV is a credible alternative to consoles, at least where it's comparable. And at this point, it isn't generally comparable. Disney Infinity 3.0 and Skylanders SuperChargers are outliers. If you want a device onto which many developers will put their latest and greatest games, Apple TV isn't for you right now. It may be one day, but it isn't in late 2015.
In short, while the new Apple TV isn't identical to consoles, either in terms of looks or function, it is powerful enough to handle modern games without making them look, well, weak and blurry, like the Wii tended to look compared to the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Console games on the new Apple TV control like consoles games. They look like console games. They are console games. They just happen to be running on a not-quite-a-console.