When Apple Arcade was announced, Apple boasted that the $4.99 per month gaming service would offer “exclusive” games. However, “exclusive” doesn’t mean that many of the games won’t be available on other platforms, just not on Android.
Apple Arcade offers unlimited access for up to 6 people in your Family Sharing circle to 100+ games available in the service with no additional in-app purchases or in-app ads. Games can be player online and offline, and will be available on the iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV. Apple says it will be adding new games to the Apple Arcade library each month.
As pointed out by 9to5Mac, while the games on the service are “exclusive” to the Arcade service, some are available on other platforms, just not on Android. Games are mobile exclusives, so the games can be available on Windows PCs and video game consoles.
This means that many Arcade games will be multi-platform. Apple demoed Sayonara: Wild Hearts at their event on Tuesday. It will be launching on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Apple Arcade. While the game is included in your Apple Arcade subscription, the console version will run you $13.
Developers are also restricted from allowing their games to appear on other subscription services, so that means they won’t be offered in subscription services on the Xbox One or PlayStation 4. The games will also not be available on the App Store as free-to-play or pay-once titles., only on the Arcade tab.
Apple Arcade launches September 19, alongside the launch of iOS 13. Users that install the new mobile operating system will then be able to sign up for the Arcade trial. Arcade will be available on the iPad with the iPadOS release on September 30. Arcade for Mac requires macOS Catalina, and Apple hasn’t announced a firm release date for the new Mac operating system.
