Apple's App Store Worldwide head Carson Oliver told Polygon that more premium games are launching on the App Store this year than last, including console and PC franchises. He highlighted titles like Balatro, Stardew Valley, Slay the Spire, and Bloons TD 6 as finding success on mobile, with cozy games, management simulations, and roguelikes performing particularly well.
Oliver attributed growth to a generation of players whose first gaming device was an iPhone, creating an audience comfortable with touchscreen controls. Apple Arcade and individual purchases offer developers flexible business model options, allowing games like Balatro to thrive as premium downloads or through subscription services.
The company is enhancing discovery through editorial recommendations and new Creative Assets tools that let developers showcase artwork in search results and product page headers. Apple's development tools like Game Porting Toolkit 4 and MetalFX are also reducing the time and cost to bring PC and console games to Apple devices.
Source: MacRumors · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing