TheGamer Originals
While Apple Arcade Languishes, Play Pass Has Become One Of The Best Values In Games
When Apple Arcade launched in September 2019, it had a bold vision. Every game it featured was ad-free, mtx-free, drm-free (meaning no always-online games) and developed specifically for the service rather than the general Apple App Store. Apple Arcade got a lot of positive attention with launch titles like Grindstone, Sayonara Wild Hearts, Lego Brawls, Rayman Mini, and Exit the Gungeon, overshadowing Google’s competing service, Play Pass, which launched just a week later. Apple Arcade has grown from 71 titles to over 200 in the last three years, but it hasn’t been able to keep the same momentum it launched with. The Apple Arcade launch titles are still the best games available, and Apple has pivoted to converting old iOS games like Fruit Ninja and Threes! into the add-free, in-app purchase-free service. In 2020, Bloomberg reported Apple cut ties with some Apple Arcade developers in order to focus on a new strategy of player retention, but with each passing year the subscription service is showing fewer and fewer signs of life.
