The latest batch of iPads are pretty incredible mobile devices but one recent report suggests it’s even better for gaming than we once thought.
The team over at Digital Foundry is responsible for some of the best in-depth technical research in the games industry. From the latest graphics cards to the biggest console releases, it is one of the leading authorities when it comes to technical tests and research.
Digital Foundry’s latest report calls the best iPad right now an “extremely finely engineered, ultra-premium device with some of the best mobile hardware on the market.”
Starting with the bad
Before getting into the gaming performance, Digital Foundry tries using the iPad Pro for its productivity capabilities. In the report above, it says that, though the M4 iPad Pro has tonnes of power, its OS and software limitations don’t make it as capable a productivity device as a standard laptop.
Digital Foundry writer Oliver Mackenzie says that Stage Manager “doesn’t feel fully baked” and claims it is poorly integrated. In our iPad Pro review, we echo this sentiment, saying “iPadOS is simply frustrating to use when attempting to do any significant multitasking work, and Stage Manager remains at the heart of this frustration.”
Onto the good
Matching my own thoughts on the Assassin’s Creed Mirage iPhone 15 Pro port, the above report claims it performs poorly, regularly dropping below 20 frames. However, “on the M4 iPad Pro, these issues are totally resolved.” It continues “The experience is just vastly improved, to the point where Mirage feels quite comfortable on iPad hardware.”
With other big hitters like Resident Evil 4 and Death Stranding, both games are locked at 30 fps, with very stable performance. When comparing the device to console experiences, the report says “It's not going to replace a PS5 or Series X, but it is capable of a decent experience in last-generation console games.”
Though the iPad Pro M4 more or less requires you to be a dedicated Apple user to get the most out of it, thanks to its OS and the Apple ecosystem, the M4 range of iPad Pros offers a great gaming experience, Digital Foundry’s report shows.
If you’ve been wanting a good mobile gaming device, and are unconvinced by the power of the best iPhones, the latest iPad Pro may just be the one for you.
