The Mac failed in this area; will Apple's iPhone 16 succeed? Thoughts…

At the recent iPhone 16 event something stood out to me – the same thing I've been noticing Apple mention more and more. And no, it wasn't the hot topic of the year – AI (or Apple Intelligence, in this case), and it wasn't the new camera button.

It was that Apple is trying harder and harder to attract video game publishers and developers to port their triple-A games to the iPhone. Not just that, but the Cupertino company really wants you to know that the iPhone is, on top of all else – a capable console-grade handheld gaming device.

Notice I was careful not to say "mobile gaming," but "handheld gaming," as mobile gaming implies short, touch-screen games meant for (usually addictive) casual entertainment on the go.

But handheld gaming implies a Steam Deck competitor, a Nintendo Switch competitor, an ROG Ally competitor…

And as a daily Steam Deck user, and a huge fan of it – it got me thinking – is this a joke? Or is it a promising attempt to position the iPhone as a serious gaming console, alongside those others mentioned?