Vratislav Holub The Apple Arcade gaming platform has been here with us for over two years, during which several game titles have been added. This service works quite simply. For a monthly fee, they will make more than 200 exclusive games available to Apple users, which they can enjoy on their iPhones, iPads, Macs and Apple TV. A huge advantage is that you can play on an iPhone at one point and then move to, for example, a Mac and continue gaming on it. However, when considering the competition, Apple Arcade seems like a losing game. Why is this so and what chance does the Cupertino giant even have?
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Adam Kos How Apple Arcade works
Before we get to the topic, let's explain how the Apple Arcade platform actually works. As such, the service only serves to make the previously mentioned exclusive games available, which you can then download to supported devices and play them at any time - even without an Internet connection. Subsequent synchronization of your progress will occur after connecting to the network. And this could be the problem. Since the games are downloaded directly to the device and use its available capacities (power) to run, it is understandable that these are not titles with groundbreaking graphics. In short, it is necessary that they run smoothly not only on the Mac, but also on the iPhone. Although the power-packed 14″ and 16″ MacBook Pro offers enough capacity even for graphics-intensive games, it cannot be used in this industry. Games from Apple Arcade must also run on Apple phones at the same time.
Apple Arcade
That's exactly why the game menu looks the way it does. Although the service offers quite a few relatively high-quality and entertaining titles, it simply cannot match its competition. Simply put, you can't compare, for example The Pathless from Apple Arcade with games like Cyberpunk 2077, Metro Exodus and the like.
The competition is miles away
On the other hand, we have extremely strong competition here today in the form of Google Stadia and GeForce NOW services. But it is fair to admit that these platforms approach gaming from a slightly different angle and instead of lending titles, they allow players to play even the most demanding game titles on a regular device. This is because it is a form of so-called cloud gaming, which is today perceived as the future of gaming. In this case, a powerful computer in the cloud takes care of all game processing, while only the image is sent to the user, and control instructions in the opposite direction. Thanks to today's Internet possibilities, the player gets a smooth, undisturbed and, above all, reliable experience.
At the same time, it can be argued that in the case of these two platforms, it is primarily about PC gaming. But the opposite is true. Thanks to the fact that the computer in the cloud takes care of the processing of the games, nothing prevents you from running the given title flawlessly on your mobile phone. In that case, all you need is a game controller and, thanks to the relatively extensive coverage, it is possible to play from practically anywhere.
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Pavel Jelic Although it sounds absolutely great and these two platforms completely demolish the Apple Arcade offer at first glance, it is necessary to acknowledge some shortcomings. Since you won't find exclusive game titles with these services, you'll also pay for them. GeForce NOW will recognize your already purchased games from your game libraries (Steam, Epic Games), whereas with a Google Stadia subscription you already get access to selected titles, but you will simply have to pay for the others. In addition, since these are so-called AAA titles, their price can often reach over a thousand crowns per piece. However, the service tries to compensate for this by giving its subscribers a load of free games every month. But once the subscription ends, they lose everything. Of course, it is also not possible to play in offline mode, where Apple Arcade wins.
The future of Apple Arcade
Currently, it is not easy to estimate how Apple will be able to cope with the pressure of competing services. At the same time, however, it is necessary to realize that services such as Google Stadia or GeForce NOW aim at a completely different target group, which wants to enjoy the best game pieces even on weaker configurations or tablets and phones. On the other hand, Apple Arcade is more aimed at undemanding players who want to have fun with interesting games from time to time. Subsequently, it is up to the individual players to decide which group they would like to join, or what their preferences are.
In addition, another player is entering the market, Netflix, which will start offering mobile games alongside its multimedia content. These will already be available as part of the subscription and can undoubtedly be an interesting addition to the service as a whole.
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