Key Takeaways
- Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a classic reborn with side-scrolling action and anime-inspired visuals.
- The game runs smoothly on M series MacBooks, offering 60fps, sharp graphics, and no latency with Bluetooth controllers.
- Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown releases this winter, pre-orders available for MacBooks with at least the M1 chip and macOS 12.0+.
Recently, we had the chance to go to Apple’s latest gaming showcase in Los Angeles where we got to go hands-on with some familiar favorites and upcoming releases that take full advantage of Apple’s M series chips. Developers from Ubisoft, EA, and Capcom were able to give us some insight into titles that just landed on iOS, as well as future plans for expanding Apple’s gaming catalog. Games at the showcase include Zenless Zone Zero by HoYoverse, NFS Mobile by EA, Temple Run: Legends by Imangi, and Vampire Survivors by Poncle. One of the most anticipated titles I was able to check out was Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, which is slated to release this winter on all M series MacBooks (sorry iPhone and iPad users, this one is a Mac exclusive for the time being).
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
- System
- Nintendo , PC , PlayStation , Xbox
- Platform(s)
- PC , PS5 , PS4 , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S , Xbox One , Switch
- Released
- January 18, 2024
- Developer(s)
- Ubisoft Montpellier
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What is Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown?
A classic reborn
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown dropped in January this year and is a true love letter to the series’ roots, maintaining that classic side-scrolling action. The Metroidvania-style gameplay and unique setting have revived old fans’ interest in the series and brought new fans into the fold as well. One thing that I really appreciate about the title, and something I spoke to a developer about at the event (Guillame Cerda, Product Director at Ubisoft), is the inclusion of Farsi as a language option, which is super rare in the industry (Guillame also confirmed my hunch that the art style was inspired by anime).
Players control a young Persian warrior as he navigates through a 2.5D (and cursed) version of Persia, Mount Qaf, inspired by Persian mythology. Throughout this side-scrolling adventure, you collect powers, do some platforming, solve puzzles, and hone in on the combat (the parrying is super satisfying) to rescue the kidnapped Prince Ghassan.
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The Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown for Mac proves Apple’s commitment to gaming
The game is smooth, crisp, and tons of fun
At the showcase, the game was running on the latest MacBook Pro and MacBook Air, which means the mighty M3 chip was powering everything (something I could see and feel immediately). And this wasn’t just a quick demo, either, as I was able to make it to the first boss (who was surprisingly difficult) and beat him after only two tries. It’s clear that Apple has come a long way when it comes to gaming hardware, as the company wasn’t always seen as the most reliable option, but ports like this prove Apple is only improving.
You’re getting a buttery smooth 60fps, along with a very sharp display taking full advantage of the MacBook’s Liquid Retina XDR display (3024×1964 native resolution for the Pro and 2560×1664 native resolution for the Air). I was using a PS5 controller for the demo, and I’m pleased to say that there was absolutely no latency or lag either, something that laptop gamers previously had to contend with when it comes to Bluetooth controllers.
Above you can see just how crisp and bright the colors look on this display, and although I wanted to keep pressing on, I had to relinquish the sticks to other event-goers who were just as eager to try it out for themselves. My big takeaway from my experience playing this game on a MacBook was that we’re entering an era of Apple where AAA titles will look just as good on a MacBook as they do on a PC, PS5, or an Xbox One X, and devs like Ubisoft are beginning to recognize it as well.
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The Details
Specs required and release date
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown will arrive this winter for MacBooks with Apple Silicon and macOS 12.0 or later, which means you’ll need a MacBook that at the very least is rocking the M1 chip. Pre-orders for the game are available on the Mac App Store now.
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