Apple Centralizes Mobile Gaming With New Games App on iOS 26 and macOS 26

At WWDC 2025, Apple announced its most significant gaming interface update in over a decade: a standalone Games app that brings together Apple Arcade, Game Center, and App Store games for iOS 26, iPadOS 26, and macOS 26 (via AppleInsider, 9to5Mac, MacRumors). For Apple enthusiasts tracking the company’s evolving approach to gaming, this move acknowledges iPhone and iPad as core gaming platforms while maintaining the familiar, closed-ecosystem strategy that has defined Apple’s history in this space.

A Unified Home for iPhone and iPad Games

For the first time since Game Center’s 2010 debut, Apple is offering a unified interface for mobile games—akin to but distinct from industry leaders such as Valve’s Steam or Microsoft’s Xbox app. Apple confirmed the Games app will come preinstalled on all devices supporting iOS 26,