It isn’t Valve’s steam, but Apple’s new Games app in iOS 26 and macOS 26 finally admits mobile gaming deserves more than a menu tab and a forgotten leaderboard.
Apple has launched a new Games app as part of iOS 26 and iPadOS 26, aiming to bring together Apple Arcade titles, Game Center activity, and App Store games in one place. The company announced the app on June 9, 2025, during its WWDC keynote.
This is Apple’s first dedicated gaming interface since the original Game Center debuted in 2010. The app reflects a shift toward positioning iPhone and iPad as more deliberate gaming devices, though still within the boundaries of Apple’s controlled ecosystem.
The Games app serves as a centralized launcher for installed games, offering personalized recommendations, Game Center achievements, multiplayer tools, and curated events. It also introduces a new “Play Together” section that lets users see what friends are playing and send quick invites for multiplayer sessions.
For casual users, it’s a relief. You no longer have to guess where to look for your saved progress or buried invites. The new “Play Together” section highlights multiplayer-friendly titles and lets you quickly see what friends are playing.
Social features like leaderboards and challenges are more visible, and the whole experience feels like Apple finally took mobile gaming seriously.
The app uses Apple’s new Liquid Glass design language, which adds animated depth, translucency, and tactile responsiveness across iOS, iPadOS, and macOS 26. Games is preinstalled and accessible from the home screen on supported devices.
Not quite a gaming ecosystem
Apple’s new Games app does a good job cleaning up mobile gaming on iPhone and iPad, but it doesn’t really push beyond the usual Apple boundaries. The app feels simpler and friendlier, but it still isn’t anything close to platforms like Steam, Xbox, or Nintendo Switch.
You won’t find mod support here, or user-generated reviews, or alternative storefronts. Everything still goes through Apple’s tight control, which keeps things neat and tidy, for better or worse.
That control also means there’s not much room to explore or build a gaming community.
Even the social features, like multiplayer challenges or seeing what friends are playing, only work if the games fully support Apple’s framework. It’s a solid update for casual gaming, but serious gamers will find it limited.
Users who already subscribe to Apple Arcade or primarily play mobile titles will benefit from the Games app’s cleaner interface and easier access to social features. By consolidating discovery, stats, and social tools, the app offers a more console-like experience for mobile gaming.
However, for users who rely on community forums, extensive multiplayer ecosystems, or downloadable content, the app is likely to feel limited. There are no user-generated lists, modding communities, or cross-platform party systems.
The new Games app is Apple at its most Apple. It’s polished, curated, and entirely on brand. It makes things easier for users, as long as you play by the rules.
And that’s the tradeoff. You get simplicity, but not freedom. A better interface, but the same limitations.
For many users, that will be enough. And for Apple, that might be the whole point.
