Apple has announced a new dedicated gaming app, Apple Games, which will launch this fall for iPhone, iPad, and Macs. The new app combines the existing Game Center app with the gaming section of the regular App Store, and even has a tab for Apple Arcade.
The new app is designed to be an all-in-one destination for gaming on Apple devices--combining easy access to the games store, your purchased gaming library, Apple Arcade, your friends list, and other community features. All games that are available on the App Store will automatically be included in the Apple Games app. Apple Games will replace the Game Center app when it launches this fall, absorbing the social gaming app's features including friends lists, achievement tracking, leaderboards, and more.
It had been reported that Apple was working on a gaming app with a release date around the launch of the Switch 2, which was June 5. For now, the app is in beta, and will be launched in full later this year as a default app in iOS 26, iPadOS 26, and MacOS 26--Apple's latest operating system updates that were previewed this week at WWDC 2025.
Macs and iPads are also getting further gaming capabilities with Game Overlay. Exactly as it sounds, the new feature introduces an overlay gamers can use to access friend lists, social features, and system settings without having to leave their game.
The new features are part of a larger gaming push by Apple, which also includes an expanded library of AAA games being released for Mac. Apple has just announced that open-world adventure game Crimson Desert and Sims-like InZOI will be coming to the Mac, alongside other titles including Cyberpunk 2077, Lies of P: Overture, Hitman: World of Assassination, and more.
Source
The new app is designed to be an all-in-one destination for gaming on Apple devices--combining easy access to the games store, your purchased gaming library, Apple Arcade, your friends list, and other community features. All games that are available on the App Store will automatically be included in the Apple Games app. Apple Games will replace the Game Center app when it launches this fall, absorbing the social gaming app's features including friends lists, achievement tracking, leaderboards, and more.
It had been reported that Apple was working on a gaming app with a release date around the launch of the Switch 2, which was June 5. For now, the app is in beta, and will be launched in full later this year as a default app in iOS 26, iPadOS 26, and MacOS 26--Apple's latest operating system updates that were previewed this week at WWDC 2025.
Macs and iPads are also getting further gaming capabilities with Game Overlay. Exactly as it sounds, the new feature introduces an overlay gamers can use to access friend lists, social features, and system settings without having to leave their game.
The new features are part of a larger gaming push by Apple, which also includes an expanded library of AAA games being released for Mac. Apple has just announced that open-world adventure game Crimson Desert and Sims-like InZOI will be coming to the Mac, alongside other titles including Cyberpunk 2077, Lies of P: Overture, Hitman: World of Assassination, and more.
Source