Apple Arcade is a subscription-based gaming service offered by Apple Inc. It was launched on September 19, 2019, at the annual Apple keynote presentation.
The platform offers subscribers unlimited access to a selection of video games. Subscribers can play and download these games for a monthly subscription fee with no added costs.
Apple Arcade is available on any compatible Apple software system or device: tvOS13, iPadOS 13, iOS 13, and macOS Catalina or later. The platform offers monthly sharing for both family and individuals.
Annual plans include no in-app purchases or advertisements and the option to download and play games offline.
Furthermore, when using the service on Apple-exclusive products, the gameplay is compatible with third-party accessories such as the Xbox controllers and PlayStation 4.
Platforms and Operating Systems
Apple Arcade can be accessed in over 140 countries and over 14 languages on compatible Apple devices, including the iPad, iPod Touch, Apple TV, iPhone, and Mac computers.
The service is also included in Apple’s iOS 13 (2019), iPadOS 13 (2019), and TVOS 13 (2019) software and macOS Catalina. Apple Arcade is also available in later software updates.
Apple Arcade can be found on the Apple App Store’s Apple Arcade tab. One cool thing about the platform is that its gameplay also supports external controllers.
External wireless controllers tagged Made for iPhone are compatible with Apple Arcade games.
Wireless controllers for Xbox One and PlayStation 4 are also supported through wireless pairing Bluetooth settings.
Subscription Packages
Apple One Subscriptions
Apple Arcade is the first subscription-based video game service offered by Apple Inc. The platform was added to Apple’s other subscription services, such as Apple TV+, Apple Fitness+, Apple Music, and Apple News+.
Users can purchase an Apple One subscription to access the video game service Apple Arcade.
Apple One provides consumers access to extra iCloud storage and a bundle of Apple’s subscription services.
These are the costs of the subscription plans on Apple One:
- Apple Arcade costs $14.95 for an Individual plan. One user can access Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, Apple Music, and 50 gigabytes of iCloud storage on this plan.
- Apple Arcade costs $19.95 for a family plan. The family plan allows up to six users to access Apple Arcade, Apple Music, Apple TV+, and 200 gigabytes of iCloud storage.
- Apple Arcade costs $29.95 for the premier plan. Up to six users on this plan can access Apple TV+, Apple Music, Apple News+, Apple Arcade, Apple Fitness+, and 250 gigabytes of iCloud storage.
All three plans can be cancelled at any time, and they offer a free one-month trial.
Apple Arcade Subscriptions
One monthly subscription to Apple Arcade costs $4.99, while a year subscription costs $49.99. This plan can be used as a family-sharing plan or for individual gameplay, where up to six users can participate.
The annual and monthly subscription plans offer a one-month free trial and can be canceled anytime.
Games
When Apple Arcade was launched, it offered an initial 71 gaming apps. Apple announced that the number of games would increase to more than 100 by the end of 2020.
The games can be accessed in more than 140 countries and can be translated into over 14 languages.
Apple Arcade games are exclusive to the service and cannot be accessed from other platforms. They are created by developers such as Konami, Annapurna Interactive, Sega, and more.
Apple only reveals to its developers whether a game has been accepted onto the Apple Arcade platform; it does not reveal the game’s performance metrics.
There are various gaming categories within the platform. These categories group similar games based on genre, difficulty level, and premise. Some categories include puzzles, adventure, and education.
In addition, there is also a category called daily play suggestions, which provides a curated selection of games based on the consumer’s gameplay history and downloads.
Features of Apple Arcade
iCloud Progress
Apple Arcade employs always-on DRM, which means that users must always be logged in to use the service.
The users are to log in with their Apple ID. This allows the user’s gaming progress to be saved to their iCloud account.
This feature allows users to resume their game progress on another device as long as they are logged into their iCloud account.
Software Support
Apple Arcade is supported on iOS 13 or later, iPad OS 13 or later, macOS Catalina or later, and tvOS 13 or later.
Individual and Family Sharing Plans
Both the monthly (which costs $4.99) and annual subscription (which costs $49.99) on Apple Arcade allow for gaming that can be shared between one and six people (family sharing).
The gaming platform is also available on monthly and annual Apple One plans. The Apple One plans include $19.95 per month for a family plan, $29.95 for a premier plan (which supports usage between one and six people), and $14.95 per month for an individual plan.
Network Connectivity
Once a user’s device is connected to the internet, he or she can download games from Apple Arcade to his or her device. After downloading the application, it can be played offline without an internet connection.
Gaming Consoles
One cool feature about Apple Arcade is that all its games can be played from compatible Apple software and devices.
Games offered on iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch include touchscreen gaming.
Also, many games on the platform allow for wireless connectivity of external consoles via Bluetooth, as long as the external device is compatible with the Apple device being used for gameplay.
External devices always contain a tag that outlines whether it is compatible with Apple Arcade gameplay.
Game size
The size of individual games on Apple Arcade varies between 200 megabytes and 2 gigabytes.
The size of an application’s download cap is indicated in its description on the Apple Arcade platform.
No Ads or in-app Purchases
Applications downloaded from the Apple Arcade platform do not contain in-app purchases or ads.
User Modification
This involves extensions that enable new characters, levels, challenges, quests, items, and more within a game.
After all, Apple Arcade games operate as closed systems, and the Apple Arcade applications generally do not involve user modification. Learn more here.
