iPad 5, iPad Mini 2 Release Date: Retina Version Of Upcoming Apple Tablets Plus iOS7 Aims To Be Xbox And PS4 Gaming Console Alternatives

The iPad 5 and iPad Mini 2 release dates, if the rumors are true, is within our reach. Most rumors have suggested that we’re less than a month away from the newest tablets by Apple.

According to one report, the upcoming Retina version of devices, especially for the iPad Mini 2 combined with its iOS 7 update will serve as Apple’s attempt to make the tablets gaming console alternatives.

Erika Pineda of the International Business Times reported that the iPad 5 and iPad Mini 2 with Retina display have bolstered the rumors that the new tablets with an iOS 7 update is being geared to go against Xbox and PlayStation.

The Business Times writer said that at best, the new iPads will satisfy the urge for users to engage in mobile gaming without totally replacing or killing the traditional gaming industry. But if Apple will enter the gaming market with the new iPads, it will inevitably alter the gaming landscape.

Apple’s entry to the gaming market could be a breath of fresh air for an industry that analysts noted as teetering on a brink of collapse.

In an interview last year with Matt Liebl of Gamezone, video game analyst Michael Pachter said, “more iPads is a good thing for gaming.”

“I think that if anything, iPads train more people to like games, and proliferation is good for the console market,” he added.

iOS 7 Beta Offering Features Good for High-End Gaming

The first iOS 7 beta offering showed that Apple is preparing its iOS devices to accommodate higher forms of gaming, according to the Business Times.

The recent set of iOS 7 beta downloads for developers have received record adoption rates.

The experience provided by the newest mobile operating system for Apple in terms of gaming is much better than what the iOS 6 can offer, a hint in Apple’s quest to play hard in the $78 billion video games industry.

Apple has released guidelines for app developers and iOS accessory makers, from which they need to base the design and specs of their products. The Cupertino tech giant has advised that game titles and gaming peripherals for future iPad and iPhone editions adhere to the template.

According to the guidelines, navigating through the applications and controlling their functions should be based first on touchscreen then on approved companion products, reported the Business Times.

Gotta Be Mobile noted in a report that in one prototype accessory, a developer came up with a controller that is quite similar to the button configuration on Sony’s PlayStation. Pineda said that this could suggest that Apple is moving aggressively to create more market opportunities for its iPad offerings.

iPad As Gaming Console Alternative

In comments with Pocket Gamer, the CEO of Take-Two game development company explains why the iPad is gaining steam as a console alternative, reported Gotta Be Mobile.

Zelnick said that their recent iOS game XCOM “illustrates that consumers are willing to pay a premium price for entertainment.”

The accessibility of the iPads, a device that consumers can bring anywhere, is what really positions it as a great gaming device.

Although the iPad may not serve as a gaming console replacement, it can be a huge alternative for those wanting to satisfy their gaming itch immediately.