Its legacy with games might be spotty, but no one can blame Apple for trying, as the company has announced Apple Games, a new app streamlined specifically for all the video games you’ve ever played on Apple’s family of hardware, from iPhones to MacBooks. It’s landing on iPhone, iPad and macOS later this year, alongside the debut of Apple’s upcoming updated operating system, iOS 26, iPad OS 26 and macOS Tahoe 26.
Once released, the Apple Games app will be pre-installed on all new Apple devices, represented by a red icon featuring a rocket ship in flight, and provide a unified library for gamers across the Apple ecosystem. This makes it easier for players to keep tabs on all their games in one convenient place, or to see what’s happening in their games across all devices.
It’s to be noted that the introduction of the Apple Games app will not render the current Game Center obsolete, and instead serve as an evolution of Game Center, which was previously used to provide social features such as leaderboards to mobile gamers.
From competing with friends and family, to keeping tabs on your friends’ high score, and discovering the new games that they seem to enjoy playing, here are 5 things you need to know about the Apple Games app:
1. It’s like Netflix, but for gaming
Upon launching the Apple Games app, users will be greeted by its Home tab, which gives a detailed overview of all a user’s gaming library at a glance, collating data and allowing players to see all the games they have ever downloaded from the App Store via a Library tab, including downloads across iPhone, iPad and Mac devices.
At the top of the page, a rotating carousel will feature editorial collections to help players find new games and recommend the latest Apple titles in store. Below that, a Continue Playing section lists all of the user’s downloaded games organised based on which title was last played, allowing easy access to a player’s favourite title and allowing them to quickly get back in the game.
Even if you’re on an iPhone and that copy of Civilization VII is for your iMac, Apple Games will reflect that, and you can tell which of your friends also dabble in global domination.
2. See what games are played by friends and family
Additional sections of the Home tab feature what games a user’s Game Center friends are playing, including Top Played Games based on App Store rankings, and curated recommendations which suggest similar titles to the games a user has played.
Users will be able to sort their list of games either alphabetically or based on the most recent title played, with additional filters available that let users list only installed games, those that work with controllers and Apple Arcade titles.
Additionally, the Library screen also features an Updates and Events button, where users can keep track of any relevant events for their owned games, like upcoming seasonal content or competitive tournaments, while the Achievements button lists the various Game Center achievements users have racked up over the years across all titles.
3. An easier way to play together
Within the app’s Play Together feature, users can now keep track of their friends’ gaming activities by integrating features on the Game Center app, listing out all their friends and created groups in one place to easily enjoy games together.
Apart from listing out their shared gaming history, users can also compare game achievements or send game invite links or party codes right from the app without the need for external software, making the process of multiplayer gaming more streamlined.
The Games app also features challenges — a new way to spark friendly competition through score-based contests. Developers with Game Center leaderboards can create tailored challenges for smaller groups of friends, transforming solo gameplay into a shared experience with friends, allowing for more ways to rally a group, crown a winner, and have a rematch. Players can invite friends to challenges by selecting their friends or contacts.
4. The semi-new home for Apple Arcade
The Apple Games app will also serve as a hub for Apple’s gaming subscription service, Apple Arcade, with a dedicated tab for the feature. Functioning similarly to the Home tab, users will be able to subscribe to the service, discover new titles to play, or launch their Apple Arcade games directly, all from one convenient location.
5. An additional Game Overlay feature for iPad and Mac
The Apple Games app also adds a handy Game Overlay feature for iPad and Mac, which will show over the top of games when pulled out. This tool allows users to quickly adjust system settings on the fly, like audio and screen brightness, manage Bluetooth devices like controllers, switch on Low Power mode to extend gaming sessions and maximise battery life, or turn on Game Mode for enhanced system performance, all without leaving the full-screen app.
Additionally, players will also have access to a social tab within the Game Overlay, giving quick access to the Game Center and their friends list, making it easy to start a chat even while gaming. This feature supports both portrait and landscape modes, with navigation possible using a controller.
Kevin is a reformed PC Master Race gamer with a penchant for franchise “duds” like Darksiders III and Dead Space 3. He has made it his life-long mission to play every single major game release – lest his wallet dies trying.
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