Will the iPad 2 Compete with Modern Gaming Handhelds?

Just in case you somehow missed the hundreds of articles published today, Apple announced the iPad 2 will hit stores on March 11th. The upcoming model offers a bevy of new features – a slimmer build, two cameras and 3G capabilities. It also boasts a significant improvement to its hardware power thanks to a new dual-core processor – the A5.

What does this mean to gamers? Hopefully, better games. And if the device catches on (the original iPad sold over 15 million units in less than a year, so it’s probable), more of them.

Of course, one could argue that the iPad 2 and upcoming gaming handhelds like the Nintendo 3DS and Sony’s NGP are really nothing alike and don’t actually cater to the same people. That folks wowed by the 3DS’ ability to display 3D graphics without requiring glasses or the NGP’s promised multi-media functionality will not care for Apple’s answer to gaming. Considering both Sony and Nintendo’s attempts to woo casual gamers and those who couldn’t tell a 1-up mushroom from a vanilla Super mushroom, that might be a mistake.

An increase in graphical power and processing speed means the iPad 2 could be a stronger option for game developers. And considering the mainstream success of apps, it might become harder and harder to resist the siren call of Apple’s ubiquitous products. Only time will tell. We’re certainly excited to see what if anything game developer have planned for the new device.

Be sure to check our sister site Gadgetcrave for a full rundown on all the details surrounding Apple’s new tablet.