Today Apple is releasing iOS 13, the latest version of its mobile operating system. It’ll have some fun new features, like dark mode and a revamped Photos app. But its most consequential contribution might be Apple Arcade, a jam-packed new gaming hub that has real implications for how apps get made—and how you pay for them.
Even in a vacuum, Apple Arcade impresses. Five dollars a month will eventually net you access to more than 100 new games; several dozen will be available at launch, if the version that dropped in the iOS 13 beta is a reliable indicator. And these games are no cast-offs. The offerings include what looks like high-quality fare from established studios like Annapurna Interactive and Ustwo Games, of Monument Valley fame. The genres range from strategy and fantasy to absurdist golf. Some, like Sayonara Wild Hearts, seem wildly ambitious.
