Apple Says New Apple TV 4K is Tremendous Value at $179, Not Designed to Compete Directly With Xbox or PlayStation

In addition to reviews lifting for the new Apple TV 4K, Apple marketing executive Tim Twerdahl spoke with CNN Underscored's Jacob Krol about the latest generation of the streaming box, which launches this Friday.

apple tv 4k arcade
Priced at $179 with 32GB of storage or $199 with 64GB of storage, Twerdahl said the new Apple 4K offers "tremendous" value.

"We think there's a tremendous amount of value in this $179. When we talk about the best way to watch TV, I sort of think about it at three levels," Twerdahl said. Those three levels, according to Twerdahl, are hardware specs that deliver the best experience possible, having content that people want, and seamless integration with other Apple products.

Twerdahl said Apple's focus with gaming has been on Apple Arcade, which he also said delivers a tremendous value, but he admitted that the new Apple TV 4K is not designed to compete directly with consoles like the Xbox or PlayStation.

"Our focus on gaming has been more recently on arcade stuff, because we think that that's a great value for customers, there's a tremendous amount of content in there," said Twerdahl. "And we've done a lot to make that experience fantastic. Most notably, probably support for all these different game controllers."

"It's probably not designed to compete directly with the Xboxes and PlayStations of the world," added Twerdahl. "They bring something to the market that I think is unique and great for really hardcore gamers."

Apple Arcade is Apple's subscription-based gaming service, providing access to a catalog of over 100 games without ads or in-app purchases across the iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV, with pricing set at $4.99 per month. The recent tvOS 14.5 update added support for the latest PS5 and Xbox Series X game controllers on the Apple TV.

The new Apple TV 4K has been available to order since April 30, with most orders beginning to arrive this Friday, May 21.

Related Roundup: Apple TV
Buyer's Guide: Apple TV (Don't Buy)

Popular Stories

AirPods Pro 3 Mock Feature

AirPods Pro 3 Just Months Away – Here's What We Know

Friday April 18, 2025 5:16 am PDT by
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...
iphone 16 pro models 1

17 Reasons to Wait for the iPhone 17

Thursday April 17, 2025 4:12 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models simultaneously, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 17 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect from Apple's 2025 smartphone lineup. If you skipped the iPhone...
Beyond iPhone 13 Better Triad

Apple's 20th Anniversary iPhone May Finally Go All Screen

Tuesday April 15, 2025 6:31 am PDT by
Apple is preparing a "bold" new iPhone Pro model for the iPhone's 20th anniversary in 2027, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. As part of what's being described as a "major shake-up," Apple is said to be developing a design that makes more extensive use of glass – and this could point directly to the display itself. Here's the case for Apple releasing a truly all-screen iPhone with no...
maxresdefault

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 12 New Features

Sunday April 13, 2025 7:52 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and ...
CarPlay Hero

Apple Releases Wireless CarPlay Fix

Wednesday April 16, 2025 11:28 am PDT by
If you have been experiencing issues with wireless CarPlay in your vehicle lately, it was likely due to a software bug that has now been fixed. Apple released iOS 18.4.1 today, and the update's release notes say it "addresses a rare issue that prevents wireless CarPlay connection in certain vehicles." If wireless CarPlay was acting up for you, updating your iPhone to iOS 18.4.1 should...
iOS 18

iOS 18.5 Includes Only a Few Changes So Far

Monday April 21, 2025 11:00 am PDT by
Apple seeded the third beta of iOS 18.5 to developers today, and so far the software update includes only a few minor changes. The changes are in the Mail and Settings apps. In the Mail app, you can now easily turn off contact photos directly within the app, by tapping on the circle with three dots in the top-right corner. In the Settings app, AppleCare+ coverage information is more...
top stories 2025 04 19

Top Stories: iPhone 17 Pro Rumors, CarPlay Bug Fix, and More

Saturday April 19, 2025 6:00 am PDT by
This week saw rumor updates on the iPhone 17 Pro and next-generation Vision Pro, while a minor iOS 18.4.1 update delivered not just security fixes but also a fix for some CarPlay issues. We also looked ahead at what else is in Apple's pipeline for the rest of 2025 and even the 20th-anniversary iPhone coming in 2027, so read on below for all the details on these stories and more! iPhone 17 ...

Top Rated Comments

sw1tcher Avatar
51 months ago

Twerdahl said the new Apple 4K offers "tremendous" value.
OMG!. What a relief. This is good news. Good news, indeed. I was afraid Apple's marketing executive might come out and tell the news media that the Apple TV 4K offered terrible value.
Score: 47 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Ion-X Avatar
51 months ago

Honest question: What advantages does Apple TV bring to a Smart TV?

My TV already has a smart hub that does more than I can use, it can record shows and AirPlay comes built into it, so I can seamlessly mirror my iPhone or iPad screen, or even use it as a monitor wirelessly. I do not even have a set top box, the TV can already handle the TV-input from the provider.
* Faster, smoother interface due to a much faster CPU
* Tight integration with Apple services and devices
* You can use iPhone as a remote in a pinch
* Availability of some games, including most Apple Arcade games
* Wider selection of apps (NBC, ABC, Crunchyroll, Plex, CBS News, you name it)
* Now, the usability and convenience of the remote is far better than you'll find on any TV remore
* Cast audio to HomePod stereo pair via AirPlay
* AirPlay screen mirroring has significantly less lag and significantly fewer compression artifacts on Apple TV versus a smart TV
Score: 34 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Vangeli Avatar
51 months ago

Honest question: What advantages does Apple TV bring to a Smart TV?

My TV already has a smart hub that does more than I can use, it can record shows and AirPlay comes built into it, so I can seamlessly mirror my iPhone or iPad screen, or even use it as a monitor wirelessly. I do not even have a set top box, the TV can already handle the TV-input from the provider.
By not connecting your TV to WiFi you can also save yourself from having everything you view tracked and sold to advertisers. I think companies like Vizio go a step further and actually record anything displayed on screen so they can track stuff that isn’t from a built-in app. And if you’re using a Samsung or LG, you’ll see no ads in the menus when there’s no network connected.
Score: 31 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jonnyb098 Avatar
51 months ago
Is it nice? Yes. A tremendous value? Absolutely not. With most Tv's supporting airplay now and every major streaming service the only point of an apple TV is to have specific features like arcade and fitness+....(oh wait now you can stream that to tvs via airplay now).......so yeah. For 179 they should bundle a game controller and 3 months of arcade and do that gaming bundle. At most this should be $149 otherwise.
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Lounge vibes 05 Avatar
51 months ago
I actually agree with him.
Even though I think $179 is just a bit steep, and I think them selling the old 2015 model for $149 still is a complete rip off, I do think that it is the best streaming box out there.
It definitely has the smoothest and easiest to use user interface, it supports all my iTunes purchases over the years, it has a decent remote, and it definitely supports the most formats.
Not to mention, you can’t beat that ecosystem integration.
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
GeoStructural Avatar
51 months ago
Honest question: What advantages does Apple TV bring to a Smart TV?

My TV already has a smart hub that does more than I can use, it can record shows and AirPlay comes built into it, so I can seamlessly mirror my iPhone or iPad screen, or even use it as a monitor wirelessly. I do not even have a set top box, the TV can already handle the TV-input from the provider.
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)