Apple Arcade, a subscription-based video gaming service, is all set to launch worldwide today. Its price in India is set at Rs. 99 per month, and it will enable users to play more than 100 new game titles. Apple Arcade can be accessed through a tab in the App Store and will work on iPhones, iPads, Mac devices, and Apple TVs as well. Apple Arcade will offer an ad-free, and a no additional purchases experience, and even let parents manage screen time.
The service is all set to launch today in more than 150 countries. In India, there is a one-month free trial that is being offered, on the completion of which, subscribers will have to pay Rs. 99 ($4.99 in the US) per month. Apple Arcade will also be compatible with ‘Family Sharing’ at no extra charge, which means a total of six individuals — including you — can access all available games across all supported devices. As mentioned, the subscription service will ensure that no ads are served in the games and no additional purchases are hidden inside the game.
Once launched, you can access Apple Arcade by going to App Store and a separate new tab will be seen for the new subscription service. There will be a ‘Try it Free’ button on top of the new section that will activate your one-month trial. Games that are available under the new service feature an “Apple Arcade” tag just above their official names on the App Store.
Apple has tied up with developers and publishers such as Capcom, Lego, Sega, Konami, Annapurna Interactive, Versus Evil, Revolution Software, Mistwalker, Klei Entertainment, Sumo Digital, and Illusion Labs among various others. Game titles that are part of the Apple Arcade service include Where Cards Fall, The Pathless, Lego Brawls, Hot Lava, Oceanhorn 2: Knights of the Lost Realm, Beyond a Steel Sky, Cardpocalypse, Doomsday Vault, Down in Bermuda, HitchHiker, and more.
Apple says that it will add new games each month for Apple Arcade subscribers, and the personal data shared with each game will be decided by the user. The games can be downloaded to play online or offline.
Even though Apple promised more than 100 games in Arcade, it has currently made available around 54 titles only, as spotted in iOS 13 and iOS 13.1 beta earlier this week. When Apple Arcade is made available commercially today, it should launch with more titles, and more titles should be added in the coming months as well.