WWDC 2025: Apple’s Dedicated Gaming App For iPhone, iPad, Mac Anticipated
Apple is set to preview the gaming app at the WWDC 2025, which will take place June 9-13.
Apple is reportedly developing a dedicated video gaming app for its smart devices, and the iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV set-top box may get the app later this year, coinciding with the iOS 19, macOS 16, and tvOS 19 releases.
According to a report by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman—who based it on information from people aware of the development—Apple plans to preinstall the app on the iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV set-top box. The app will work as a gaming launcher and consolidate leaderboards, in-game accomplishments, communications, and other activities.
Apple’s Game Center, which until now allowed players to create an identity and connect with friends across Apple platforms to play mobile games, will be replaced by the new gaming app, according to the report. All the third-party games currently available in the App Store’s Games section will be included in the new gaming app, which Apple intends to use to push Apple Arcade.
Apple notably releases new games and updates on existing titles as part of its Apple Arcade monthly subscription service, and a dedicated app is part of its renewed efforts to convince developers and players that it is a force to be reckoned with in gaming.
It also appears that Apple wants to separate gaming from the App Store so that users can locate and download games on Apple devices more easily. Additionally, to make gaming more seamless on the Mac, the app will “tap into” games that are downloaded from sources other than the Mac App Store.
Apple is set to preview the gaming app at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2025, which will take place June 9-13. However, the app will only be made available on iPhones, iPads, Macs, and Apple TVs in September, when the operating systems are made available to general users.
Apple’s launch of the gaming app in June, just days after the Nintendo Switch 2 release on June 5, appears to be a strategic move to capitalise on the gaming market. The Switch 2 will be a successor to the Nintendo Switch and is highly anticipated by gamers worldwide.
The launch also highlights gaming’s significance in the Apple ecosystem. Currently, games and in-app purchases, including tokens, levels, and other enhancements, account for over two-thirds of Apple’s App Store income, according to Bloomberg.
