Apple Inc. is developing a standalone gaming app that will come preinstalled on the iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV later this year. The app aims to position Apple as a stronger player in the gaming industry by centralizing achievements, leaderboards, communications, and gameplay across devices, according to sources familiar with the plans.
The move comes as gamers face growing options—from cloud platforms to consoles—just ahead of the June 9 Worldwide Developers Conference, where the app is expected to debut. Notably, Nintendo is set to unveil its Switch 2 console days before the event.
Apple’s new app will feature curated editorial content, integrate the App Store’s games section, and promote Apple Arcade, the company’s $6.99/month subscription service. It will effectively replace Game Center, Apple’s largely dormant social gaming network launched in 2010.
A Mac version of the app is also in development, with support for games installed outside of the App Store—part of Apple’s broader gaming initiative. That includes the recent acquisition of RAC7 Games, the small studio behind Sneaky Sasquatch, as reported by Digital Trends.
Despite the iPhone being one of the most popular gaming devices globally—and games accounting for around two-thirds of App Store revenue—Apple still struggles to shake its reputation as a secondary player in gaming, especially on Mac. Even with recent advances in chip performance and game development tools, developers continue to favor Windows for high-end titles.
While the new app may improve the gaming experience on Apple hardware, early testers say it’s unlikely to shift perceptions dramatically among serious gamers or developers.
The gaming app is just one of several new features coming with the next iOS release in September, alongside the new iPhone lineup. Other expected updates include a redesigned interface (code-named Solarium) for better consistency across devices, AI-powered battery and health tools, a revamped Translate app with live conversation translation via AirPods and Siri, and improved syncing of hotel Wi-Fi credentials. Apple is also set to introduce a bidirectional Arabic-English keyboard, a virtual calligraphy pen for Apple Pencil, and an eye-scrolling feature for the Vision Pro headset.
A spokesperson for Apple declined to comment. Last year, 9to5Mac reported that the company was working on a new games app for a future software update.
Pump Radar
Stock Alerts