It’s easy to forget that Google won’t be the only tech giant dipping more into mainstream gaming this year. With its own exclusive library on hand and a somewhat reasonable subscription asking price (if you’re part of the EcosystemTM already), Apple has finally announced a launch date for their Apple Arcade subscription service. It will first hit iOS devices on September 19, followed by iPadOS and tvOS on September 30 and macOS Catalina sometime in October.
A one-month free trial will be available at launch to those who want to try the service out, kind of like what you’d get with a Netflix subscription these days. Afterwards, it will cost you $4.99, and with Apple promising unlimited access to a catalog of over 100 new games, this may be something to check out for fans of the tech giant. All of the titles will be available to play on all Apple devices like iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, Mac, and Apple TV.
“We are so excited to launch Apple Arcade on the App Store. A curated selection of over 100 new and exclusive games from many of the most innovative game developers in the world is the perfect complement to the App Store’s existing massive catalog of games,” Phil Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing, said in a press statement “We think customers of all ages are going to be delighted that a single subscription gives the whole family unlimited access to the full catalog of amazing Apple Arcade games, all without any ads or additional purchases, while knowing every game must meet Apple’s high privacy standards.”
Below are some of the titles debuting on the Apple Arcade service.
- Ballistic Baseball (Gameloft) – an arcade baseball game that pits a pitcher and a batter in a live head-to-head multiplayer match.
- ChuChu Rocket! Universe (Sega) – Sega brings the ChuChus to Apple devices in a journey filled with strange and wonderful planets plus over a hundred puzzles to boot.
- Exit the Gungeon (Devolver Digital) – a spinoff of Devolver’s critically acclaimed bullet hell roguelike, this game sees players escaping a collapsing hell dungeon with perilous obstacles and enemies standing in their way.
- Overland (Finji) – a road trip adventure set after post-apocalyptic events, where players fight various creatures, rescue other travelers and scavenge for supplies to survive.
- Pac-Man Party Royale (Bandai Namco) – Pac-Man goes four-player with this competitive Battle Mode title.
- Projection: First Light (Blowfish) – a journey of self-enlightenment starring a girl named Greta, who lives in a mythological shadow puppet world.
- Rayman Mini (Ubisoft) – a brand-new adventure where Rayman turns to the size of an ant, and as such he must use insects, mushrooms and plants to run through the world in this endless runner.
- Shantae and the Seven Sirens (WayForward) – Shantae’s fifth outing debuts for the Apple Arcade service.
- Skate City (Snowman) – street skating brought to life in this multi-touch controlled ultimate skating title.
- Sneaky Sasquatch (RAC7) – Sasquatch Simulator 2019, where players live the life of a Sasquatch to do regular and everyday Sasquatch stuff.
- Steven Universe: Unleash the Light (Cartoon Network) – an original mobile RPG co-written by Rebecca Sugar, based on the popular Cartoon Network animated series of the same name.
- Super Impossible Road (Rogue Games) – a high-speed racing game where players master difficult courses set against beautiful backdrops in space.
- The Bradwell Conspiracy (Bossa) – a conspiracy adventure thriller with a humorous twist.
- The Enchanted World (Noodlecake) – help a young fairy piece together a magical world torn apart by dark forces.
- Various Daylife (Square Enix) – from the makers of Bravely Default and Octopath Traveler comes this brand-new RPG, which centers on a newly discovered continent in year 211 of the Imperial Era.
The official Apple Arcade announcement was made during Apple’s 2019 event, which also debuted the new iPhones to the whole world. Check out a highlight reel of the Apple Arcade demos below, courtesy of CNET.
