This is a dynamic evaluation. Right now, ARM is a far superior technology to x86 for my smartphone use cases, and x86 is a massively superior technology for my high-detail PC gaming use cases.
(It's split for things like development, now that the M1 is here. Personally I get my development done with 8-core 4+ Ghz x86 chips in Windows/WSL2/Docker, but others are getting development done with Apple Silicon M1 ARM chips!)
Over time the "lesser" technology can become the greater technology for more use cases.
> Is that latter case simply due to the availability of high performance GPU cards?
It's a combination of things:
* Apple has not indicated that they'll allow for third-party GPUs
* Apple has not pushed for widespread gaming compatibility
* Game developers prefer to reach the widest audience
Apple would need the M1 successors superior in gaming computation and capable of marrying up to high-performance GPUs, write the drivers necessary AND get broad adoption of Apple gaming to factor into game publishing.
This is all theoretically possible, but it didn't happen while Apple was using roughly the same high-end hardware available to PC gamers, so it's questionable (in my mind) that it'll happen when they are locking down their hardware further, and trying to use all their own hardware for gaming.
(It's split for things like development, now that the M1 is here. Personally I get my development done with 8-core 4+ Ghz x86 chips in Windows/WSL2/Docker, but others are getting development done with Apple Silicon M1 ARM chips!)
Over time the "lesser" technology can become the greater technology for more use cases.