Apple introduced the Apple Games app yesterday and its significance is starting to become clear as more details come in.

The app will be pre-installed on the Homescreen of every single new MacBook Pro, iPhone or iPad sold — and it will be pre-installed with the new OS update, MacOS 26 — and it will provide a personalized home for games and playing with friends.

I saw a beta of it at Apple’s headquarters in the past couple of days and had a briefing on the details of the Apple Games app but no real hands-on play. I had a rare visit to Apple during the Worldwide Developer Conference to get Apple’s view of the world of games and talk with various Apple developers.

I think of this app as a kind of justice and reconciliation for developers, where Apple is doing work to improve game discovery with recommendations and top-played lists. It’s also fostering re-engagement through challenges that bring players together with their friends.

The backstory

In 2021, Apple retired the Identifier for Advertisers (IDFA), which hurt discovery and user...