UPDATE: Apple has now officially released macOS Catalina with it available to download on the Mac App Store.
ORGINAL STORY: If you own a Mac have now upgraded to macOS Catalina, you can now access Apple Arcade, the tech firm’s new all-singing, all-dancing app subscription service centred around games.
Apple Arcade provides instant access to a deluge of games, many of which are exclusive titles from renowned developers.
Take Rayman Mini by Ubisoft for instance, the title’s art style and gameplay are extremely reminiscent to the developer’s famed Rayman Origins and Rayman Legends, but this time the qwerty character has been miniaturised, giving stages an unexpected twist.
Other notable exclusives on Apple Arcade include ChuChu Rocket! Universe from Sega, Shantae and the Seven Sirens by WayForward and Various Daylife from Square Enix.
Apple has promised that by the end of this year Apple Arcade will be brimming with over 100 games.
It’s worth noting that no title included in Apple Arcade will feature in-app purchases or ads.
Apple Arcade costs £4.99 per month, but the Cupertino-based tech powerhouse is giving fans a month free trial.
That means Mac owners running the latest Catalina beta can take advantage of the service’s offerings right now.
To try Apple Arcade, all you need to do is head to the Mac App Store where a separate tab should appear duly titled “Apple Arcade”. From there you can instantly access all the titles on offer.
To make gaming on your Mac even better, you can pair a PlayStation 4 or Xbox controller. You can always just use your computer’s keyboard though, if you prefer.
macOS Catalina has a number of new features worth shouting about, chief of which is certainly Sidecar that allows Apple fans to use their iPad as a second display with supported apps.
Sidecar is compatible for any iPad with Apple Pencil support. The stylus itself can be leveraged to improve productivity, such as by finely editing a photo in Adobe Illustrator.
Catalina also scraps iTunes in favour of three apps called Apple Music, Apple Podcasts and Apple TV. Apple claims the new programmes should deliver incredibly fast performance when compared to its all-in-one offering that certainly felt bloated towards the end of its life.
Apple’s new computer operating system also revamps a number of key applications such as Photos, Safari, Mail, Notes and Reminders.