New Apple TV device ‘to focus on games’

Apple’s current generation Apple TV box

Apple is expected to make games a “primary selling point” of its next generation Apple TV set-top box, which is tipped to launch this week, according to a New York Times report.

Citing people briefed on Apple’s plans, the NYT said that the new Apple TV will be more powerful, have better graphics, a new remote that could double as a games controller and an app store to buy and download games.

The report claims that the move could see Apple target the large market of casual gamers, as opposed to providing an alternative to games consoles like the Xbox One and PS4.

Unofficial Apple news site, 9to5Mac reported last week that Apple will launch a premium fourth generation version of its Apple TV set-top at an event in San Francisco on Wednesday.

According to this report, the new device is due to launch in October and is expected to be priced at either US$149 or US$199.

While this is a significant increase on the US$69 that the current generation of Apple TV box retails at, it is also much cheaper than devices like the Xbox One, which is currently priced from US$349 in the US.