Getting Started Gaming With the iPhone

By: Staff, GameSpot - Posted on October 6, 2009

You'll find iPhone OS running on the sleek, shiny hardware from Apple. These include the powerful iPhone, one of the most popular mobile handsets out there, and newest versions of the iPod, such as the iPod Touch, which has a touch-screen interface. The more-recent models of iPhone have a generously large screen, which displays bright colors and busy animations, and powerful graphics hardware under the hood capable of displays up to 60Hz so that games can run at extremely brisk frame rates of up to 60 frames per second. And the number of games you can download and play on iPhone OS is nothing short of staggering.

Hardware, Accessories, and What to Expect

The newest models of the iDevice feature the holy trinity of mobile game control schemes: a touch screen, a global positioning system, and an accelerometer that acts like a motion sensor so that you can play certain games simply by tilting your screen or by swinging your iPhone like a golf club. Newer-model iPhones are definitely powerful, but if you find yourself experiencing less-than-optimal gaming performance, it can be a good idea to cut down on downloads and remove apps that you don't plan on using anymore to free up memory, and you should consider shutting off memory-hungry applications you aren't currently using, such as 3GS and the GPS, or running your iPhone in airplane mode.

For the latest reports on the best handsets for this and other operating systems, visit CNET's regularly updated Best Cell Phones roundup.

Games and Where to Get Them

Games for the iPhone (and newer models of the iPod) can be purchased from Apple's App Store, which houses the already-enormous and ever-growing library of iPhone OS games. The App Store can be accessed directly from your hardware by opening up the App Store and then selecting and purchasing the games you wish. You can also purchase iPhone OS games by way of your computer using Apple's iTunes service to run the App Store. There's a dizzying array of games for iPhone OS in various genres, including word and logic puzzles, arcade-style games, motion-sensing games that use the iPhone's accelerometer, and strategic tower-defense games. While most iPhone games are typically priced at less than $10, the landscape of iPhone game development is so competitive that it's very common to see certain games drop in price repeatedly over time until they end up at $0.99, or even completely free. There are plenty of free games already on the App Store, and the number of free games looks like it will grow over time.

Be advised that games for iPhone OS currently require approvals from Apple to appear on the App Store, so despite the staggering variety of different games, you still might, with certain types of games, not see as much variety as you would with a more-open, free-form mobile OS that has no approval restrictions.

Pros & Cons

PRO: Huge game selection means a great variety to choose from.

PRO: Several games make interesting use of iPhone hardware, including touch screen, GPS, and accelerometer.

PRO: Games frequently drop in price due to competition, and as a result, many more-expensive games drop in price quickly.

PRO: There are already many free games on the App Store as well.

CON: Huge game selection can also make finding the best games difficult.

CON: Though the iPhone has one of the largest displays for a touch-screen phone, games with intense graphics still can be visually overwhelming.

CON: Though the iPhone has one of the largest displays for a touch-screen phone, games with intense graphics still can be visually overwhelming