Fortnite is giving iOS players more control and iPad Pro users more frames

By Mark Knapp Published January 15, 2020

Fortnite has dominated the gaming sphere by blending the line between traditional and mobile gaming. The latest update for Fortnite on iOS continues to do that with more support for now-standard controller inputs and a higher framerate cap, as spotted by 9to5Mac.

While Fortnite already supported Xbox One and PlayStation 4 controllers on iOS, it hadn’t supported the inputs for thumbstick button presses. That changes with version 11.40 per Fortnite‘s change log. It will give players on iPhones and iPads more control parity with consoles, and let them more easily switch between playing on the different platforms.

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That’s just a simple quality-of-life upgrade compared to what Epic Games has unlocked for iPad Pro owners. This new update will let the iPad Pro (2018) take advantage of the 120Hz refresh rate on their ProMotion displays, as Fortnite will allow gameplay to go up to 120 fps (frames per second).

A competitive option

That’s all great news for Fortnite players on iPhones and iPads. Fortnite is still one of the most popular apps according to Apple, and the new features will let iPhone and iPad users enjoy the game more fully.

But the iPad Pro upgrade highlights a different approach to enjoyment. It may be asking a lot of an iPad Pro’s graphics processor to run Fortnite on its high-resolution display at a whopping 120 FPS. At the highest graphical settings, it seems downright unlikely (though we won’t say impossible until we try it).

Now, with the option to lower graphics settings for Fortnite, the new 120 FPS cap may provide gamers on the iPad Pro an option generally relegated to PC gamers: The choice between maximum quality and maximum smoothness.

It’s one thing to enjoy how a game looks, and there’s nothing wrong with taking a hit to framerate in order to boost a games visuals. But a high fps rate can also improve the experience by smoothing out every action and reducing response time. For competitive gaming, the jump from 60 fps to 120 fps can offer a distinct advantage. Now, iPad Pro owners can feel a little more like a pro compared to all the other iOS gamers they play against.

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