Game stores could be the next trend in the mobile industry, with many publishers, including Microsoft, Epic Games, and now Apple, wanting to get in on the action. According to an exclusive report from 9to5mac, Apple could be well into the development process for a game store coming as soon as iOS 18 or 19.
The game store is said to feature a “Play Now” tab, which would allow users to jump right in with friends, find editorials about content, and more. The new game store is expected to be different from the current Game Center but rather offer an integration for Game Center. Special gaming events, leaderboards, and mini arcade games are also sad to be coming.
Apple still has the Apple Arcade with a $6.99 subscription, allowing select titles across the ecosystem. It’ll be interesting to see if the Apple fanbase takes interest in a game store, that appears as usual for now, a walled garden for those in the ecosystem if it arrives.
