Browse Apple's US website today and you may be surprised to see your favorite video game character drop in and make an unexpected appearance.

apple arcade
Characters including the likes of Sonic, Frogger, and little LEGO people have invaded Apple's homepage to promote Apple Arcade, the company's subscription gaming service.

Launched in September 2019, ‌Apple Arcade‌ is a premium subscription service that allows App Store users to pay one monthly fee to gain access to over 100 games that that have no in-app purchases or additional costs.

All Arcade games work on the iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, and Macs, which is likely one of the reasons why Apple's playful promotion has seen game characters take over every product section on its homepage.

Apple teamed up with both indie developers and big-name gaming companies to create "new and exclusive" games for the ‌Apple Arcade‌ service. All the content that is released through ‌Apple Arcade‌ is freshly created for ‌Apple Arcade‌, so it doesn't include existing games.

‌Apple Arcade‌‌ is priced at $4.99 per month or $49.99 per year, and one subscription allows up to six family members to play through Family Sharing. For those who have not yet given ‌‌Apple Arcade‌‌ a try, there is a one-month free trial available.

In his latest earnings call, CEO Tim Cook said ‌Apple Arcade‌ had got off to a "strong start," but he didn't reveal subscription figures. Apple has also recently increased visibility of ‌Apple Arcade‌ in its retail stores, introducing colorful promotional displays and highlighting compatible gaming accessories.

(Thanks, Francis!)

Top Rated Comments

MandiMac Avatar
66 months ago

Because I don’t play games on my Apple TV. I watch movies. And I dont want ridiculous soap opera effects.
You can already activate this in Settings, that the frame rate matches that of the content you‘re watching. :)
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
FaustsHausUK Avatar
66 months ago
little LEGO people
LEGO minifigs, please.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cmaier Avatar
66 months ago
How whimsical
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Eduardo1971 Avatar
66 months ago
Nice cross-promotion. They adverts on the Apple homepage brought a smile to my face; nicely done.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MandiMac Avatar
66 months ago

With what improvements?
Better chip hardware that let us play Arcade games buttery smooth. Maybe HDMI 2.1 for 120 fps support too. Heck, why not a better remote as well? :D
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

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