John Carmack of id Software surprised attendees of QuakeCon today by announcing an iOS version of the developer's upcoming shooter, Rage. The respected programmer whipped out an iPhone 4 on stage and showed it powering a scaled-down tech demo of Rage, running at 60 frames-per-second featuring the id Tech 5 engine with "all of the megatexture goodness" and advanced lighting.
Carmack went on to explain that although the pocket-sized iPhone lacks things like tactile feedback, it offers a comparable amount of muscle to the original Xbox or PlayStation 2. In fact, he said the device could kill anything done on a previous-generation console, adding that it's not far off from the current-generation machines – a bold claim to be sure, but the preview does look stunning.
In addition to running impressively well on the iPhone 4, Rage also plays fine on the iPad and even the original 2G iPhone. id Software is in the process of pulling the title into a game framework with plans to release a "show-off" version for iOS this year and a complete game next year alongside the PC and console versions. An Android edition is still on the table, but it won't happen this cycle.