I Found a Way to Play the Latest Assassin’s Creed on My Mac | Global News Avenue

I’m a very casual gamer; I usually like to play relaxing puzzle games on my phone, like Two Dots. I’ve never owned a dedicated gaming computer or console. But after replacing it with a new one iPhone My curiosity was piqued when I learned it could run the latest Assassin’s Creed.

when “Assassin’s Creed: Shadows” will be released on February 14, 2025. This will be the first Assassin’s Creed game to run locally apple. But instead of waiting until next year, I realized I could already play the 2023 game Assassin’s Creed Phantoms on my iPhone, and I could use a Mac to enhance the experience.

I’m eager to test my limits iphone 16especially since Apple specifically announced that its A18 chip can handle AAA games. I’m a little skeptical – can the mobile device I use primarily to answer emails and watch YouTube really replicate an experience optimized for PS5, Xbox or gaming PC?

I wanted to get as close to this experience as possible, so I borrowed a friend’s DualShock controller and paired it with my phone via Bluetooth. Using screen mirroring, I projected my iPhone’s display onto my MacBook connected to an external monitor. Then I opened Assassin’s Creed Phantoms on my phone and it appeared on my monitor, ready for me to play.

Here’s what I found.

AAA games can be played on iPhone. But manage your expectations

I played the prologue of Assassin’s Creed Phantoms on my iPhone with graphics settings set to medium. Throughout the process, my controller was paired with my phone, and it was seamlessly mirrored to my MacBook’s external display.

In addition to having a larger screen to watch all the gaming action on, I also benefit from using the MacBook’s speakers, which are louder and fuller than the phone’s. I put my phone aside. Then I sat back and immersed myself in the game, moving my character Basim through the world of ninth-century Baghdad.

It wasn’t the smoothest experience. At multiple points in the game, Basim is chased by hostile NPCs, and I found myself frustrated when his movements became jagged and difficult to control. (For readers who may not know, NPCs are non-playable characters.) Cutscenes in particular were difficult to complete, and after each scene I experienced high latency (more lag in response times) when I returned to the game . It breaks the immersion and sometimes forces me to close the app and restart the game.

I quickly realized that this setup was not a suitable console replacement. My phone got very hot at times when I played games, and the high latency and stuttering graphics weren’t ideal for a game that emphasizes movement and speed. The iOS port of Assassin’s Creed Phantoms seems completely unplayable to me at the highest graphics settings. It won’t work for hardcore gamers who want smooth motion and want to see crisp lines and dirt in corners.

But every time I had to close an app, I’d be surprised: I’d find myself back on my iPhone’s home screen. I remember the full version of the latest Assassin’s Creed game was running on my phone. Not even a gaming phone ROG gaming phone 9 Probut the base model iPhone 16—the same device I usually use to play Two Dot.

mobile games Indeed, great progress has been made.

You can use screen mirroring to play other iOS games on a larger display

My friend lent me his DualShock controller and he recommended some other games to test. Diablo Immortal, November, and Genshin Impact all ran smoothly with my controller and screen mirroring settings. They feel like ideal games to play on the big screen, as their detailed maps and animations are difficult to appreciate on mobile. And because these games are primarily designed for mobile platforms, they don’t heat up my phone like Assassin’s Creed Phantoms did.

Screen Mirroring can be turned on and off in the iPhone’s Control Center and requires a Mac. You can use the same feature to mirror from iPad to Mac, so if you want to play iPad games on your Mac screen, this setup works.

This ability to mirror iPhone/iPad games on the big screen is also useful for certain games that have mobile and desktop versions at different price points. Mobile versions tend to be cheaper.

For example, the iOS/Android version of Minecraft costs $7, but the PC/Mac version costs $30. I purchased Minecraft for iOS and have been playing it with the same settings. Of course, I had to use letterboxing on my monitor because of my phone’s wider aspect ratio and the subtle differences in UI between mobile and desktop, but for a casual gamer like me, it’s a very Good solution.

Screen mirroring mobile games are only practical if the game has an option that allows you to play with a controller (unless you’re coordinated enough to use your phone’s controls while viewing your computer screen). Fortunately, there are more and more games like this. Other AAA games, such as Death Stranding Director’s Cut and Resident Evil 4, are currently available on iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro models, while Once Human will launch in January.

If you have another device that can run these games, you should probably still choose this option – especially since you’ll be paying full price no matter which version you buy (Assassin’s Creed Phantoms is $49.99 for iOS). But if you only have the iOS versions of these games, and you already own a Mac, it’s worth trying this screen mirroring setup to get the most out of your mobile gaming.

So far, I’m enjoying playing Assassin’s Creed Phantoms on my iPhone and Mac. For the longest time, I didn’t think Apple devices could run “real” games. But now, after seeing what the iPhone is capable of, I believe Apple has finally built a device that can handle the most demanding AAA games.

I probably won’t be rushing out to buy new gaming hardware anytime soon, but I’d love to check it out Assassin’s Creed Shadows When it arrives next year, I’m already eyeing other upcoming releases like Cyberpunk 2077 For Mac.