Remember Apple Arcade? The gaming subscription service from Apple turns six years old today, but you might not have realized that — or even recalled that it still exists. As a Mac gamer, I feel like it’s Apple’s forgotten gaming platform.
These days, Apple Arcade barely gets a mention from its creator, whether that’s at a showy Apple event or in a quick press release. There’s practically no significant promotion for Apple Arcade, wherever you look. And that feels odd considering how much Apple is pushing Mac gaming these days.
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The problem is that Apple Arcade has never really lived up to its potential. Games on Apple Arcade carry saves across to whatever Apple product they’re played on, and that means they have to work on every device from the beefiest Mac Pro to the most modest iPhone. As a result, developers inevitably have to make compromises. Many games simply feel like iOS ports that got lost and found themselves on the Mac, with huge buttons designed for thumbs instead of mouse pointers and blurry textures blown up large on Mac displays. Few feel at home on the Mac.
Then there are the tales of developer discontent. As reported by MobileGamer.biz, Apple Arcade developers have faced declining revenues and a lack of interest from Apple. One even said the service has “the smell of death” about it.
An earlier report from Midia Research claimed that up to 10% of US consumers play Apple Arcade games weekly, but I’d be willing to bet that the vast majority of those gamers play on mobile devices, not the Mac. Mobile gaming is a huge business and Mac gaming is decidedly not. I wouldn’t be surprised if that trend is reflected in Apple Arcade.
The native solution
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I’ve been an Apple Arcade subscriber off and on almost since it debuted, and right now I’m decidedly in the “off” camp. It pains me to say it, but I can’t remember a single Apple Arcade game that has justified the ongoing fee and really stuck in my mind. Sure, there are plenty of good titles available, but few that I find compelling specifically from a Mac gamer’s perspective, as opposed to someone who plays on mobile.
That’s not necessarily the fault of the developers. Apple Arcade games are constrained by serious limitations, and that’s holding them back. Developers must ensure that their games run well and look good on the least powerful Apple device available, which inevitably means that more weight is put on iPhone performance than how the game will run for Mac players.
Now, there’s another serious threat to Apple Arcade: the Mac itself.
Mac hardware is getting more powerful every year and AAA games are arriving on the Mac’s sunny shores in increasing numbers. In the coming years, the choice for Mac gamers will increasingly be between Apple Arcade games optimised for iOS and proper, native Mac gaming experiences. As a Mac gamer, I know I would choose Cyberpunk 2077 or Assassin’s Creed Shadows over an Apple Arcade title every day of the week.
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I say this as someone who has given Apple Arcade plenty of time (and money) over the years. I liked the idea of being able to start playing a game on my Mac and then pick up on my iPhone if I need to leave the house. And I appreciate being able to play games free from microtransactions and adverts, which is a stipulation of getting a game onto Apple Arcade.
But in the end, the dearth of compelling titles for Mac gamers — a situation prompted by the very nature of Apple Arcade’s cross-platform requirements — has turned me away.
Fortunately, with the Mac looking like a more viable gaming destination, the slow decline of Apple Arcade might not be so keenly felt. After all, a game expressly designed for desktops will likely always be a better experience than something that has to work on every screen, from a 6-inch iPhone to a 32-inch Pro Display XDR.
But as I mark Apple Arcade’s sixth birthday, I can’t help but wonder whether Apple should simply drop the Mac compatibility requirement from its game subscription service entirely. That would allow mobile games to thrive on their own terms, without forcing unsuitable ports onto the developers.
If Apple can give other enticements to Mac developers and give them solid reasons to make native Mac games, everyone will be better off. That’s the kind of world where Mac gaming can thrive.
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