Apple Arcade cost to beat Google Stadia, but can the game quality?
The Apple Arcade game subscription service will cost $4.99 (around £4.10) a month, according to a report on Monday.
9to5Mac says it has seen promotional materials within one of the APIs used by the App Store app. The message not only reveals the pricing plans, but confirms the expected one-month free trial.
Over the weekend it emerged that Apple employees now trialling the service are being asked to pay just 49¢ a month during an early access period ahead of the iOS 13 launch. Apple has already confirmed that, much like the Apple News Plus subscription service, Family Sharing will apply to Apple Arcade too. That means a fiver a month will get everyone in the door.
The Apple Arcade service was originally announced in March this year, at the company’s “It’s Showtime” event, which introduced a bunch of new subscription options. Apple hasn’t revealed the full line-up yet, but the company is promising a la carte access to over 100 new and exclusive games which can be played across iPhone, iPad, Mac or Apple TV.
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It’ll be possible to switch devices mid-game and there’s support for game controllers as well as touchscreens. Apple has pledged to keep adding to the titles on offer, while games will all be playable offline. There’s no advertisements taking up screen real estate, while there’ll be no in-game purchases to bring in additional revenue.
Overall, it sounds like a great deal for users, but its success will be completely dependent on the quality of the games on offer. Confirmed games to be arriving on Apple Arcade include Sonic Racing, LEGO Brawls and Oceanhorn 2: Knights of the Lost Realm. Will you be giving Apple Arcade a try in iOS 13? Are are you all-in on Stadia? Let us know @TrustedReviews on Twitter.