Apple will soon introduce its own games subscription service: Apple Arcade.
It will offer more than 100 new and exclusive games to play across multiple platforms for one monthly fee. And it will be available in over 150 countries around the world.
Here then is everything you need to know about Apple Arcade.
What is Apple Arcade?
Apple's games service is not, as previously rumoured, a cloud gaming platform. Unlike Google Stadia or Microsoft's Project xCloud, you won't be streaming triple-A games over an internet connection.
It's not, therefore, Apple's "Netflix of games".
Instead, it is more like Xbox Game Pass. You pay a monthly fee for access to a large suite of games that you can download and play on your iPhone, iPad, Apple TV and Mac laptop or desktop computer.
They will be available to play offline and none of the titles will be released on any other platform - such as Android. Initially, at least.
When will the Arcade service be available?
Apple hasn't put an exact date on the launch of its Arcade service, but it will be available as a tab in the App Store from "fall 2019".
We expect to find out more during the company's next "Special Event", being held on Tuesday 10 September to, primarily, unveil new iPhones.
How much will it cost?
There is also no official word on pricing for an Apple Arcade subscription as yet, although information found in an Apple API suggests it could be $4.99 per month.
That's considerably lower than the price for Apple's News+ subscription service. That costs $9.99 per month for access to hundreds of magazines and newspapers, so it's odd that access to 100 games would be half that.
Whatever the standard monthly fee is, it will be all you need to pay. There will be no in-app purchasing inside Apple Arcade games.
In addition, an entire family can access as many games as they want as part of the same subscription, through Apple's existing Family Share feature.
What devices will Apple Arcade work across?
As we state above, Apple Arcade is designed to work on more than just iOS devices.
As well as iPhone and iPad, you will be able to play the available games on your television through an Apple TV set-top-box. They will also be available to users of an iMac or MacBook.
Bluetooth game controllers will be supported by some of the games. And, as announced during Apple's WWDC keynote at the beginning of June, wireless support for PlayStation 4 DualShock 4 and Xbox One controllers is coming to tvOS, iOS 13 and iPadOS in time for Apple Arcade's launch.
What games will be available on Apple Arcade?
All of the games to launch on the service will be "new and exclusive".
Apple has signed a number of key development partners, including Sega, Konami, Lego, Bossa Studios and the Cartoon Network. These will be providing games for launch and beyond, as new games will be added to the service every month.
Some of the games to have been announced so far include Sonic Racing, a follow-up to classic adventure Beneath a Steel Sky in Beyond a Steel Sky, Lego Brawls, Oceanhorn 2: Knights of the Lost Realm, Projection: First Light, and Enter the Construct.
The Arcade line-up will always be hand curated by Apple's team and will have no adverts, ad tracking nor additional purchases. Apple is also contributing to the development costs, becoming a games publisher in its own light.
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