Apple launches new gaming app to unify gameplay across devices
What's the story
Apple has officially unveiled a new dedicated gaming app, aimed at centralizing the gaming experience across its devices. The innovative app will serve as a launcher for games and provide features like tracking achievements and viewing leaderboards. It also comes with social features like "Play Together," which lets you see what your friends are playing, compare scores, and invite them to join you.
Enhanced features
'Challenges' feature lets you compete with friends
The new app also includes a "Challenges" feature, which lets you compete with friends in score-based showdowns. For developers, these challenges are built on top of Game Center leaderboards, allowing single-player games to be turned into competitions with friends. The Games app has five tabs: Home, Arcade, Play Together, Library, and Search.
All-in-one hub
More about the new Games app
The new Apple Games app integrates Apple Arcade, App Store game recommendations, your App Store game library, and your friends list into one place. It is being marketed as an "all-in-one destination for games and playing with friends." The app will also display leaderboards for supported titles and let you complete "challenges" set by developers.
Enhanced accessibility
Game Overlay for iPads and Macs
Along with the new Apple Games app, Apple is also introducing a Game Overlay feature for iPads and Macs. This will let players access Game Center features, friends lists, and gaming settings without leaving their current game. The move is part of Apple's broader strategy to enhance the gaming experience on its devices.
Gaming expansion
Apple's gaming ecosystem continues to expand
The launch of the new Games app is part of Apple's continued efforts to expand its gaming ecosystem. The company had previously introduced Game Mode to Macs with macOS Sonoma in 2023 and brought it to iOS with iOS 18. Apple has also worked on bringing major AAA games like Hideo Kojima's Death Stranding and Assassin's Creed Mirage to its platforms.