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WWDC 2015: Everything an iOS gamer needs to know about iOS 9

Multi-window, GameplayKit, ReplayKit, more

WWDC 2015: Everything an iOS gamer needs to know about iOS 9
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iOS

If you missed Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) yesterday then we have a roundup here for you that goes over everything an iOS gamer should need to know.

First off, iOS 9 was revealed, and includes a new News app, Siri improvements, and new gestures (tapping the keyboard with two fingers to turn it into a touchpad).

But the first of iOS 9 features most relevant to us is the multi-window support on iPad and iPhone. This means that you can be playing a game in fullscreen and drag in another app as a small window, or opt for split-screen, or have a picture-in-picture format.

This means that you could bring in a walkthrough if you get stuck and check out the solution without even having to take your eyes off the game.


iOS 9



The next relevant feature is the introduction of GameplayKit, ReplayKit, and Model I/O, for developers on iOS 9.

As described by Apple, GameplayKit is a tool that should make it easier for developers to give us decent game logic and AI to interact with.

ReplayKit will let us record game footage, edit it within the app, and then share it online. Model I/O, on the other hand, is designed to help out with the lighting of 3D models.

These new tools will arrive with updated versions of SceneKit, SpriteKit, and Metal. So hopefully our game playing and sharing experiences will be improved.

iOS 9 development tools

That's everything iOS gaming-related to discuss after WWDC 2015.

The last thing to note is that iOS 9 is available to developers now, while the rest of us can get it this autumn after a public beta this July.

You'll need 1.3GB of free space to download iOS 9. It's a much better file size than the 4.48GB required to download iOS 8 when it came out last year.

Chris Priestman
Chris Priestman
Anything eccentric, macabre, or just plain weird, is what Chris is all about. He turns the spotlight on the games that fly under the radar.