Apple has tried to remove its reputation in recent years to give short shifts to sports and gamers. Now it regularly counteracts the gaming capabilities of its phones and computers during the product launch events and even launched its subscription gaming service six years ago. With iOS 26, Apple took another step to strengthen its gaming dwarfs, bringing a dedicated game app to the iPhone.
The game, which is also coming to the iPados 26 and the MacOS 26 updates, is also on the iPad and Mac, the data is a stop app for all your gaming requirements on whatever device is using. The app gives you access to all sports installed on your device at this time – and really, all of your games Sometimes Download. And you will also have the opportunity to discover new sports, whether it be from Apple’s recommendations or seeing what your friends are playing.
Why launch a dedicated gaming app now? Because the iPhone has turned into a sufficient gaming device in the past years. Apple’s Senior Director for Market Place Platforms and Technologies, N Thai, told the audience in the WWDC 2025 that half a billion people play games on the iPhone. Like the sports app, Apple looks like he is trying to give people a more compatible experience that keeps them playing and is trying new sports.
I have made a brief visit to the sports app as it stands at the iOS 26 developer son, and before I say that, I will definitely have to spend more time with the new arrival to see if it will be a regular destination on my phone. But now, I can tell you what to expect for the first time you expected to dismiss the game app, whether you are after installing the iOS 26 developer son, wait for the public son or keep the iOS 26 in this fall.
Apple Games: Would you see
The Games app is represented by a red icon that includes a rocket ship in the flight. Launch it, and you will immediately see the four tabs interface at the bottom of the screen, as well as a search button that allows you to find sports by name and gender.
This is what you will see in each of the Games app tab.
House
Launch the Games app, and you will land on the home tab, which is at the top of a rotating carousel that you can download from the App Store. Below it, the ongoing area offers a side scrolling list of all your downloaded sports, which you have organized for the last time in the layout.
Tap on a game icon in the ongoing game strip, and the game is launched on your phone. And if you tap on a game that has not been installed, you will go to a screen inside the Games app that allows you to download the game on your iPhone.
When you scroll down the home tab, the next section will show what your game center friends are playing, making a list of sports and how many friends have played this game. You will also see the icons of the game center showing the first initial of friends playing this particular game. Tap on any game, and you will have the option of downloading them or getting more information about them through a preview.
The screen further down, the Games app includes the App Store ranking games based on the App Store, then the gaming categories discover new titles. After that, you will face recommendations, which you have already suggested similar topics in sports played.
There is also a section between the game app’s recommendations that highlights sports that work well with controllers. Apple, during its WWDC presentation, indicated that the Games app will work well with third -party input devices, which will be the good news for everyone who makes the best game controllers.
Arcade
If you subscribe to the $ 6.99/month gaming service, the arcade tab is the place where you access the Apple Arcade. As a home tab, you will be able to launch your favorite Apple Arcade Games here and discover new titles you want to play.
Play together
The tab together together is to keep Apple’s easily forgotten game center. This service launches back with iOS4, and allows you to submit a list of friends that you can challenge the Challenge of the Mullet Player Games or compare the HIGH high score on the Right to Bouncing.
All your game center Plus appears on a list that shows the recent game they are playing. Tap on this entry, and you can find a close outfast of the game even after you download your phone.
Together, the main highlight of the play is on the top of the tab screen where you can challenge the game center friends in competitions. You can make challenges by either selecting players or selecting a specific game first.
It is clear that Apple views the game simultaneously as the key part of the Games app. In the WBC, the company spoke of the challenges that the game -makers would be able to add the game center -based leader boards to their apps. Clearly, this is something we will see more in the fall, as app makers have the opportunity to use beta and Apple’s developer tools to promote challenges.
Library
Of all the tabs in sports, the library is the most straightforward. This is basically a list of every game you’ve ever downloaded from the App Store. You can set this list in the name of a game or you have played it recently. Additional filters just give you a list of installed sports, those who work with controllers and Apple Arcade titles.
The upper part of the library screen offers a refreshing and events button where you can live in any upcoming programs in the gameplay along with your favorite sports works – think about competitive tournament and similar events.
Below, there is also a success button where you can look at the various game center achievements that you have achieved from different iOS Games in the past years.
The other app features the game
Walking around the Games app, he considered me strange that the tab, together with the play, did not offer any way to easily add new friends to the game center. As it turns out, though, you can do this from anywhere in the app – you just need to know where to see.
In the upper right corner of the screen when you pick the game app tab, it has your early circles – this is the game center control panel, and by tapping it you allow you to edit your profile, invite friends and accept any pending friend requests. This is a good addition, because the current version of iOS allows you to go into the settings to add friends to the game center – not a definite intuitive way to go about things.
Apple’s news app has become an excellent sports source, from crosswords to Sudoko puzzles, so yes, this game appears in the app. However, this is a complete news app icon. Taping it takes you the puzzles of this app on the screen, but if you see your friends using the news app together in the game, there is no way to tell which puzzle they are.
Games App Outlook
It’s nice to keep all your iOS games in one place, but the Games app’s real promise is presenting the multi -player game player to the iPhone. It will also be a long journey to determine how the developer comes with the challenges of the iOS 26 launches, how the app games will be mobilized.