Apple Games app iOS 26 update puts competition and discovery front and center

Gaming just got an overhaul on iPhone

(Credit: Apple)

• 🎮 The Apple Games app for iOS 26 has been redesigned to focus on competition and social interaction

• 🤝 The update allows users to challenge friends in shared games and makes co-op games more accessible

• 👀 Enhanced discoverability features will help users find new games and significant updates

• 👍 The new Apple Games app effectively creates a unified gaming platform on iPhone

Apple isn’t giving up on gaming. Not only are we continuing to see incredible leaps in performance and graphical fidelity with each new iPhone that’s released, but the redesigned Apple Games app for iOS 26 taps into the very heart of what makes video games so great: competition.

The new Apple Games app highlights your friends’ activity, including what they’re playing. However, it’s the option to challenge them in games you share that really appeals to achievement and high score seekers like me – and adds a new dynamic to mobile games that is often reserved for console and PC.

Of course, you can always join forces with your friends and family. The emphasis on a more social and integrated system should make co-op games more viable, as it’s not the sort of genre people would immediately gravitate towards.

Another challenge that is plaguing other storefronts is discoverability. With more new games released every week, each vying for your undivided attention, it's easy to miss what’s just been released or which game has received a substantial update.

Apple has consolidated its gaming efforts into one easy-to-use app. (Credit: Apple)

Again, the Apple Games app for iOS 26 changes that. You can see at a glance what games you're playing, but also recommendations on what to play next from your play history or Apple’s editors. Fresh arrivals to Apple Arcade are also given more of a spotlight, which should lead to some of the best Apple Arcade games finally getting the recognition they deserve.

As Apple continues to blur the lines between mobile, handheld and even console-quality gaming, the Apple Games app is well-equipped to encourage discovery, promote competition, and effectively consolidates the gaming experience into one seamless platform across all your Apple devices.

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Adam Vjestica is The Shortcut’s Senior Editor. Formerly TechRadar’s Gaming Hardware Editor, Adam has also worked at Nintendo of Europe as a Content Marketing Editor, where he helped launch the Nintendo Switch. Follow him on X @ItsMrProducts.