Macworld

Gaming subscription services are all the rage now, but Apple Arcade isn’t a little different from the likes of PlayStation Plus, EA Play, or Xbox Game Pass. If you’ve got questions about it, we’ve got plenty of answers.

Updated September 4, 2026: There are four new games on the service again this month: Art of Fauna: Cozy Puzzles+, Block Blast+, Coloring Games for Families+, and Let’s Play! Oink Games+.

What is Apple Arcade?

Apple Arcade is a gaming subscription service for iPhone, iPad, Mac, and AppleTV that features several hundred games. The games are a mix of genres and styles, and include original games you’ll only find on the service and others that can be found on the regular App Store or even other platforms. Apple Arcade isn’t a streaming service like Xbox Live Cloud Gaming or GeForce NOW. Games must be downloaded onto your device in order to be played.

What do I need to run it?

Apple Arcade was made available as part of iOS 13, iPad OS 13, tvOS 13, and macOS Catalina or later. Some of the more visually-intensive games may only run well on newer hardware, though, and some Mac games require macOS 11 (Big Sur).

How much does Apple Arcade cost?

Apple Arcade costs $6.99/£6.99 per month, and you’ll also get a one-month free trial or you can get three months free if you purchase a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV or Mac. To claim your free trial click here.

You can get Apple Arcade for less than $6.99 a month if you subscribe for a year upfront. A year of Apple Arcade is $49.99/£49.99 (so $4.16 a month). If you’re currently on the $6.99 month-to-month plan and want to switch to the annual plan and save some money, you can do so on your iPhone or iPad. Open the App Store app, then tap your account icon in the upper right. Tap Subscriptions, then tap the entry for Apple Arcade. Here, you can switch to the annual plan.

Apple Arcade is also included in the Apple One subscription bundles, which range from $20 a month to $38 a month and include access to Apple Music and Apple TV and iCloud storage. There is also a month free trial of Apple One. To claim the trial, or sign up for Apple One, click here.

How do I sign up for Apple Arcade?

There isn’t an Apple Arcade app—it’s built into the App Store. On your iPhone, iPad, or Mac open the App Store and look for the Apple Arcade tab at the bottom of the screen (or in the left column on macOS). A sign-up screen with a Try It Free button will appear. After the trial you’ll be charged either the monthly or annual fee, depending on your selection. When subscribing, you’ll need to enter your Apple ID password or use Touch ID or Face ID to sign in, and you’ll have to confirm your subscription purchase a few times.

Once you’re done with the sign up, the Arcade section of the App Store shows what games are available to you. To access a game, tap on it in the App Store, then tap the Get button. When the game is done installing on your device, the Get button turns into a Play button, and you can tap it to launch the game. The game app icon will also appear on your device’s Home page.

On the Apple TV, there actually is an Arcade app. Open that to see the sign-up offer. You’ll also find an Arcade tab within the App Store.

Does my subscription include family sharing?

Yes. One $6.99 per month subscription can be shared between up to six people (including you).

How do I cancel Apple Arcade?

First off, keep in mind that if you cancel Apple Arcade (either before your free trial is up or after subscribing), you won’t be able to keep playing the games unless you re-subscribe. If you’re okay with that, you can use the same process you use to cancel any other subscription service. Here’s the easiest way to do it on the iPhone and iPad:

  1. Open the App Store app and tap on your profile photo in the upper right.
  2. In the screen that pops up, press Subscriptions near the top of the page.
  3. You’ll then see a list of active subscriptions, and Apple Arcade should be listed there. Tap it.
  4. You’ll either see Cancel Free Trial or Cancel Subscription toward the middle of the page that appears. Tap whatever option is available, then Confirm Cancellation.

And here’s how to cancel Apple Arcade on the Mac:

  1. Open the App Store app and then press the icon with your profile photo in the lower left.
  2. The Account window will appear, and you should then click View Information at the top of the window. Enter your password when/if prompted.
  3. When your Account Information appears, scroll down to the Manage section and click the Manage link to the right of Subscriptions.
  4. When the list of your active subscriptions appears, click Edit to the right of Apple Arcade.
  5. Toward the middle of the page that appears, you’ll see a button that says either Cancel Free Trial or Cancel Subscription. Click it, then click Confirm Cancellation and Confirm.
Do Apple Arcade games have in-app purchases?

No. In Apple’s words, “since every game includes access to the full experience, including all game features, content, and future updates, no additional purchases will be required.” Even games that have in-app purchases on the App Store won’t have any in Apple Arcade.

Do Apple Arcade games have ads?

Also no. On a related note, Apple says Apple Arcade has no ad tracking.

Is Apple Arcade a game streaming service like GeForce NOW or Xbox Game Streaming?

No. All Apple Arcade are downloaded.

Are there demos for Apple Arcade games?

No, and they’re not really necessary. Like App Store apps, games download quickly and can easily be removed if you don’t want to keep it anymore.

Apple partly envisions Apple Arcade as a way of letting players try out games with more freedom than the App Store currently allows (which is basically none). In Apple’s words, “rather than pay upfront for each game, a subscription to Apple Arcade will give players the opportunity to try any game in the service without risk.”

The service has a free trial, though, as we’ve seen with other Apple subscription services.

Am I able to keep playing Apple Arcade games if I cancel my subscription?

No. As with most subscription services, you only have access while you’re a subscriber.

Can I use controllers with Apple Arcade games?

Yes. In additional to traditional MFi (Made for iOS) controllers, you can pair some specific Bluetooth controllers for either PlayStation or Xbox with either your iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV. Since many Apple Arcade games are playable on Mac and Apple TV (where controller support is more common), many games will support them. Some games, especially those that are also available in the broader App Store and only for iPhone or iPad, have no controller support.

Recently Apple relaxed the requirements for MFi controller certification, which may have grown out of the Apple Arcade negotiations.

How often are new games released?

Games are typically released on the first Friday of each month. There are some rare exceptions.

What games have been released so far?

There are over 200 games available for Apple Arcade, and the list grows all the time.

TitlePublisherRelease DateA Slight Change of Sawblades+Yong Kian Chin05/02/24Alba: A Wildlife Adventureustwo12/11/20Alto’s Odyssey: The Lost CityTeam Alto / Snowman07/16/21Alto’s Adventure—RemasteredTeam Alto / Snowman03/25/22Arkanoid vs Space Invaders+TAITO Corporation11/07/24Art of Fauna: Cozy Puzzles+Klemens Strasser09/04/26Angry Birds BounceRovio09/03/25Angry Birds ReloadedRovio07/16/21Asphalt 8: Airborne+Gameloft08/27/21Badland PartyHypeHype Oy05/06/22Balatro+Playstack09/26/24Ballistic BaseballGameloft10/18/19Barbie Color Creations+StoryToys Limited12/05/24BEAST: Bio Exo Arena Suit TeamOh BiBi02/01/24Beyond a Steel SkyRevolution Software06/26/20Big Time SportsFrosty Pop Games09/19/19Blackjack by MobilityWare+MobilityWare01/05/24Bleak SwordDevolver Digital09/19/19Block Blast+Hungry Studio09/04/26Bloons TD Battles 2+Ninja Kiwi03/07/24Boggle: Arcade EditionZynga12/05/24Bold Moves+Red Games Co.06/09/23Bridge Constructor+Headup GmbH02/04/22Card of DarknessPendleton Ward09/19/19Castle CrumbleOrbital Knight02/03/23Castlevania: Grimoire of SoulsKonami09/17/21Charrua SoccerBatovi Games02/07/20Chess Universe+Tilting Point05/04/23Cityscapes: Sim BuilderPlaystack05/04/23Clue: The Classic Mystery Game+Marmalade Game Studio03/24/23Coffee Inc. 2+Side Labs06/04/26Coloring Games for Families+KindoLand Kids & Toddler Games09/04/26Cooking Mama: Cuisine!Office Create Corp.06/17/22CornsweeperRobert Morrison01/05/24Cozy Caravan5 Lives Studios01/08/26Crayola AdventuresRed Games Co.03/07/24Crayola Create and Play+Red Games Co.10/29/21Crayola Scribble Scrubbie+Red Games Co.09/03/25Crazy Eights: Card Games+MobilityWare03/06/25CreaksAmanita Design07/10/20Creatures of the Deep+Infinite Dreams07/02/26Cricket Through the AgesDevolver Digital09/19/19Crossword Jam+PlaySimple Games10/20/23Crossy Road+Hipster Whale10/08/21Crossy Road CastleHipster Whale02/28/20Cult of the LambDevolver12/04/25Cut the Rope 3SeptoLab UK10/13/23Cut the Rope RemasteredPaladin Studios04/02/21Cypher 007Tilting Point09/29/23Dandara: Trials of Fear+Raw Fury12/03/21Dead Cells+Playdigious12/02/22Dear ReaderLocal No. 1209/19/19Delicious — Miracle of Life+GameHouse11/24/23Dicey Dungeons+Distractionware05/02/24Disney Coloring World+StoryToys Entertainment05/04/23Disney Dreamlight ValleyGameloft12/05/23Disney Getaway Blast+Gameloft05/04/23Disney SpellStruckArtist Arcade05/04/23Doctor Who: An Unlikely HeistTilting Point04/07/23Dominoes: Classic Tile Game+MobilityWare10/02/25Doodle God UniverseJoyBits07/16/21Doodle Jump 2+Lima Sky02/06/25Doraemon Dorayaki Shop Story+Kairosoft Co.03/05/26Downwell+Devolver11/17/23Draw It+Kwalee07/02/26Dredge+Black Salt Games04/02/26Drive Ahead! 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