Studies show that your average smartphone user plays games on their mobile device – which is why Apple is hoping that you will sign up for their new gaming subscription service for a $50 annual fee. But the question is, is the Apple Arcade worth the fee? Apple Arcade is designed to be the Netflix of mobile gaming where a flat subscription fee will get you unlimited access to several hundred handpicked games. This is in comparison to needing to buy premium games one by one for several dollars or more each.
For better or worse, subscription services are all the rage recently amongst tech companies. Microsoft came out with their own game subscription service called Game Pass which has so far proven to be very popular. But mobile games tend to operate more on a freemium model which is quite different from console games which have traditionally followed a more typical business model. Not all mobile games are freemium, however, and the selection within Apple Arcade is made up partly of exclusives, and partly of ports from other platforms.
Another potential issue to consider is many mobile games that charge a purchase price still offer in-app purchases. In some of the most egregious cases, these in-app purchases are often called pay to win where players can essentially pay money to skip difficult sections of the game, purchase continues, get in game premium currency for special items, and so on. Apple promises that Arcade titles will not offer or require in-app purchases to get the entire experience. What’s more, they claim that all games can be played offline - an essential feature for those that travel regularly.
Is Apple Arcade Worth The Money?
If you are the kind of mobile gamer that does not like freemium games and instead prefers more premium experiences, you may want to take a look at the Apple Arcade list of games and see if anything catches your eye. Once more, to best take advantage of Apple Arcade, you would need to be the type of mobile gamer that likes to have a huge variety of choice, and not the kind of mobile gamer that likes to play one game at a time for several months or weeks. If you are the latter type of gamer, you may be better off just buying those games one at a time as you will be able to continue enjoying that game for as long as you want to and not need to worry about a continuous subscription fee. But in the case of Arcade exclusives, you’ll have to get the subscription to get those games.
On the other hand, players that love premium experiences and want to switch games regularly if not constantly, Apple Arcade could be a good choice for you. But before you sign up, make sure you understand what you’re getting into and whether or not this is the best deal for you. But at just around $4 a month, if you typically spend any more than that amount on mobile games, Apple Arcade could be right up your alley.
