Apple is planning to roll out a subscription gaming service later this year called Apple Arcade. This news comes just days after Google announced their own streaming gaming platform called Stadia.
Set to launch with more than 100 new and exclusive titles, including dozens of original releases, the new Apple Arcade service will be available on iPhone, iPad, Mac or Apple TV, allowing users to switch from one device to another without missing a beat.
Working collaboratively with top-notch studios like Konami, LEGO, Cartoon Network, SEGA, Giant Squid – Apple says the service will feature a list of curated titles “based on originality, quality, creativity, fun and their appeal to players of all ages.” What’s more, all titles “are all-you-can-play, have no ads, ad tracking or additional purchases, and respect user privacy.”
According to the Cupertino-based tech behemoth, Apple Arcade has been designed to allow critically acclaimed games to reach more people.
As it currently stands, the App Store has roughly 300,000 free and paid games available to the company’s 1 billion customers. While ad-supported titles have reached hundreds of millions of gamers, paid games have reached a far smaller audience. By allowing customers to try any title with no strings attached, the company is hoping these games will reach more people than otherwise possible.
Moreover, “[since] every game includes access to the full experience, including all game features, content and future updates, no additional purchases will be required,” touts Apple in its recent press release.
Arcade will be available across all Apple platforms starting this fall and it will be available in over 150 countries.