Technologies

Apple Arcade: What to know about price, games, device compatibility, privacy and more

Interested in trying out Apple Arcade? We’ll tell you everything you need to know about Apple’s mobile gaming subscription service.

Apple released its mobile gaming subscription service, Apple Arcade, in September 2019. Apple Arcade lets you play games across the iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, Mac and Apple TV devices for $5 ( 5, AU$8) a month, or $50 annually.

Apple Arcade lets players download and play games offline (no streaming options, sorry). The service includes a number of Arcade-exclusive games, as well as remastered versions of App Store favorites. In addition to working on multiple devices, Apple Arcade offers support for third-party controllers like the PlayStation DualShock 4 for more varied gameplay.

Here’s everything you need to know about Apple Arcade.

What is Apple Arcade?

Apple Arcade is a subscription service of games, curated for users to browse instead of trying to navigate the App Store’s thousands of games and apps. Apple said that’s part of why it created Arcade, which it calls the world’s first game subscription service for mobile, desktop and living room.

At launch, Apple Arcade had just over 60 games for a wide range of players, as well as titles including multiplayer options. But the service recently crossed 200 available games, because Apple adds new ones regularly.

How much does Apple Arcade cost? Does it have a free trial?

Apple Arcade costs $5 for unlimited access after a one-month free trial for first-time subscribers. You won’t see ads or pay extra for add-ons or game updates; all that comes with the subscription. A subscription can be shared by up to six family members.

If you buy a new Apple device, you’ll get a three-month subscription to Apple Arcade (even if you’re already subscribed to the service). Another option is the Apple One subscription bundle, which launched last year. Apple One makes it easier and more affordable to get up to six Apple subscription services, Apple Arcade included, for one price. In May, the service teamed up with Verizon to offer a free year-long subscription with unlimited plans.

What games are available on Apple Arcade?

Since launch, Apple Arcade has amassed more than 220 games, with new games added almost every week. (You can check out a full, regularly updated list of the games on the service here.) Some of the top games, according to the Apple Arcade landing page in the App Store, include NBA 2K21 Arcade Edition, Lego Star Wars Battles, Sneaky Sasquatch and Angry Birds Reloaded.

Apple Arcade splits its catalog up into categories similarly to other game subscription services — action, adventure, casual, family, RPG and more. You can also delve deeper into categories like Arcade Originals — games exclusive to Apple Arcade. Some exclusive titles include Alto’s Odyssey: The Lost City, Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls, Star Trek: Legends and Fantasian.

You can also explore Timeless Classics and App Store Greats. These games are already available in the App Store, but in Apple Arcade, they have new content, and are free of paywalls and ads. These categories include games like Solitaire, Mahjong Titan, Fruit Ninja Classic, Monument Valley and more.

Which devices can I use to play Apple Arcade games?

You can play Apple Arcade games on iPhones, iPads, iPod Touches, Macs and Apple TV devices. You can find the Apple Arcade tab in the App Store. Just click the little joystick icon to get started.

Does Apple Arcade offer any parental controls, screen time monitors or privacy protection?

A majority of Apple Arcade’s games are family-friendly, but you can always check the individual game’s age rating or search under the Family category.

As far as screen time monitors, you can adjust this in your device settings. Simply open the Settings app and tap Screen Time. From there you can customize your device generally, or more specifically for games. To focus on Apple Arcade games, tap App Limits > Add Limit > Games. From there, just choose which games you want to set time limits on. Tap Next, set the time limit and tap Add. Whoever is playing will get a notification five minutes before the cutoff time.

And your privacy is safe on Apple Arcade. Before you download a game on Apple Arcade, you can scroll down to App Privacy to see the developer’s privacy policy and any data that might be collected when you play. For example, Sneaky Sasquatch says it might collect usage data, but it’s not connected to your identity. You can look for individual permissions that give you control over what personal information you share with whom.

What else is Apple doing with Arcade?

In addition to hosting the service, Apple says it’s helping with the development costs of games and working with developers to bring their games to the service.

How do I cancel Apple Arcade?

Apple says Apple Arcade games can’t collect any data about you and can’t track information about how you play the game without your consent. Look for individual permissions that give you control over what personal information you share with whom.

To cancel your subscription on iPhone or iPad, follow these steps:

1. Open the App Store.

2. Tap the profile icon, and enter your Apple ID if requested.

3. Tap Manage Subscriptions.

4. Tap Apple Arcade.

5. Tap Cancel Free Trial or Cancel Subscription.

6. Confirm cancelation.

To cancel on Mac, follow these steps:

1. Open the App Store app.

2. Click on your profile icon.

3. Click View Information.

4. Click Manage.

5. Click Apple Arcade in the active subscriptions list.

6. Choose Cancel Free Trial or Cancel Subscription.

7. Confirm selection.

To cancel on Apple TV, follow these steps:

1. Open the Settings app on the Apple TV.

2. Select Users and Accounts and choose your account.

3. Enter your Apple ID password.

4. Select Apple Arcade.

5. Choose either Cancel Free Trial or Cancel Subscription.

6. Confirm your selection.

Cliff Colby contributed to this article.

Technologies

Here’s an Image of the Asteroid Everyone Was Worried About

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope captured a glimpse of the asteroid that had a chance of impacting Earth three months ago.

It’s not every day that an asteroid causes as much buzz as 2024 YR4. At one point, the asteroid had a 3.1% chance of hitting Earth, creating plenty of headlines about its potential impact. The threat is all but gone, but now we have pictures of the once-worrisome asteroid.

The imagery was captured by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope and posted by the European Space Agency on Wednesday. The JWST captured the asteroid with two of its cameras, including the Near-Infrared Camera and the Mid-Infrared Instrument. The former measures reflected light, while the latter shows thermal energy.

The pictures demonstrate a couple of fun facts about the asteroid. It is the smallest object ever targeted by JWST’s instruments to date, and it’s one of the smallest objects ever directly measured. Estimates initially put the asteroid at around 40 to 90 meters. The actual size turned out to be 60 meters or around 180 feet.

«These measurements indicate that this asteroid does not share properties observed in larger asteroids,» the ESA said in its blog post. «This is likely a combination of its fast spin and lack of fine-grained sand on its surface. Further research is needed, however, this is considered consistent with a surface dominated by rocks that are roughly fist-sized or larger.»

Per NASA, the asteroid will only be visible from Earth for a little longer. The asteroid’s orbit is currently taking it away from Earth, and the agency estimates that it’ll disappear from even the strongest instruments by late April or early May. It won’t be visible again until 2028 when its orbit brings it back toward Earth.

The moon, on the other hand…

The 2024 YR4 asteroid caused quite a stir when astronomers first reported it via the Minor Planet Center in December 2024. Based on the data collected on its trajectory at that point, the asteroid had a 1.3% chance of hitting Earth.

The percentage fluctuated over the next few months, reaching as high as 3.1%. After further research, the odds dropped dramatically to 0.28%. Per NASA’s Sentry tool — which monitors asteroids that may impact Earth — the threat now sits at 0.00078%.

The moon may not be so lucky. Per NASA, the odds of the asteroid impacting the moon are somewhere around 3.8%, which is even higher odds than the asteroid ever had of impacting Earth. Scientists are gathering data before the asteroid disappears, but it’s likely we won’t know more until the asteroid comes back into view in 2028.

Technologies

We Played Nintendo Switch 2: Mario, Donkey Kong, Mouse, Camera and a Lot More

Technologies

Nintendo Switch 2: Every Reveal About the Console, New Games, Price, Release Date

The $450 console launches June 5, with Mario Kart World the highlight of its launch day game lineup.

The Nintendo Switch 2 console’s biggest reveal yet arrived Wednesday as part of the company’s latest Nintendo Direct event. This teed up a day of Switch 2 reveals that include its June 5 release date, a $450 price, its specs and its initial game lineup that extends from launch into 2026.

The console will be further buoyed by having Mario Kart World as a launch title, which will go on sale in either a $500 bundle with the Switch 2 or on its own for $80 — making the open-world racing game one of Nintendo’s most expensive yet. Other games announced, such as Donkey Kong Bananza, are being priced around $70, which matches the cost of 2023’s The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. That Zelda game and Breath of the Wild are among the original Switch titles that will get enhanced Nintendo Switch 2 Edition upgrades, a premium upgrade allowing players to get new features, modes and graphical enhancements that take advantage of the newer system’s capabilities.

Here are the top highlights from Nintendo’s console event, all of the games we’ve heard about so far (including new titles, Nintendo Switch 2 Editions and GameCube games coming to Nintendo Switch Online) and all of our coverage so far. You can also check out our Nintendo Switch 2 live blog for even more updates about the Switch 2 as we learn them.

Nintendo Switch 2 console

The Nintendo Switch 2’s specs saw a noticeable technical bump over the Switch. The Nintendo Switch 2 has a 7.9-inch, 1080p resolution LCD that supports a 120Hz refresh rate — matching what we now see on most Android phones. When the Switch 2 is docked, compatible games can run in 4K resolution. The new dock also includes a cooling fan.

The Switch 2 comes with 256GB of internal storage, and the new Switch 2 Game Cards will load games faster. For digital libraries, however, the Switch 2 will only work with microSD Express cards, which are different from the microSD cards that are compatible with the prior Nintendo Switch. Nintendo will have a Software Transfer feature available to help move games and data from the original Switch to the Switch 2.

The new Joy-Con for the controllers will support mouse controls, and a new C button will be part of a new GameChat communication feature that allows both voice and video chat. There’s also a Nintendo Switch 2 Camera, allowing players to see each other.

The Switch 2 also adds a second USB-C port to the top of the system, which Nintendo says can help connect its new camera accessory or charge the console when playing in tabletop mode. Nintendo also revealed a new Switch 2 Pro Controller with the C button and customizable GL and GR buttons on the back.

Following the presentation, Nintendo unveiled the system’s price of $450 in the US. It will also sell the Switch 2 bundled with a digital version of Mario Kart World for $500.

Mario Kart World

Mario Kart World removes its traditional boundaries and lets drivers roam freely across an entire world of race courses. The game will get its own Nintendo Direct later this month, where we’ll see additional details, but we already know it’ll include traditional races and a Free Roam mode, much like in the Forza Horizon series.

Getting the game bundled for an extra $50 on the cost of the Switch 2 might be the move if you are interested in the game, because Nintendo announced on its website that standalone copies of Mario Kart World will cost $80.

Joy-Con 2 C button and GameChat

Nintendo’s rolling out its new C button across several new Switch 2 controllers. The button will be used for the new GameChat communication features without a headset. The button will be used alongside a microphone on the console itself, which Nintendo says can be used whether it’s docked to a TV or in handheld mode.

In its teaser video, Nintendo promises the microphone will be able to cancel out loud background noises. GameChat will also work with a Nintendo Switch 2 Camera, allowing video chat and various camera-based game modes in supported titles. GameChat will be free at launch through March 31, 2026.

Nintendo Switch 2 Edition games upgrade titles

The Nintendo Switch 2 will play three types of games: original Switch games, Switch 2 games and Switch 2 Edition games that will receive substantial enhancements. For many of these Switch 2 Edition games, you’ll need to buy an upgrade pack if you own the original for Switch. Many of them will get more than just enhanced graphics in the upgrade; for example, Super Mario Party Jamboree will get new games that support the new Joy-Cons’ mouse controls, audio recognition and video camera gameplay options through the Switch 2 Camera.

Other Nintendo Switch games that are getting Switch 2 Edition options include The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild, The Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom, Kirby and the Forgotten Land, Metroid Prime 4 Beyond and Pokemon Legends: Z-A. Enhancements vary: The Zelda games will start working with a companion phone app for maps and sending schematics to friends, while Kirby will get a new story that’s exclusive to the Switch 2 Edition. On the third-party side, Civilization 7 will get mouse controls.

Nintendo did not announce what upgrade packs will cost. However, some Switch games will get free updates that will improve performance or enhance features when playing them on the Switch 2. The Switch games getting these updates include:

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment is a new game set in the world of Zelda that tells the story that leads into The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. This appears to be similar to how Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity told the story of a war that led to the events of Breath of the Wild. The teaser shows Zelda discovering that she’s arrived in the past of Hyrule, and the game will expand on how she gets involved in the corresponding Imprisonment War.

Nintendo Switch 2 games

Several other first- and third-party games were spotlighted during the Switch 2 Direct. These include Donkey Bananza, one of the first 3D platforming games featuring DK since 1999’s Donkey Kong 64. Kirby will also return to the racing genre in Kirby Air Riders, which comes more than 20 years after the GameCube racer Kirby’s Air Ride. DragXDrive will use mouse controls to control a futuristic wheelchair basketball game in which players will simulate push and pull motions to control their character.

An onslaught of Switch 2 third-party games were quickly shuffled through during the Direct, which I list below. An unnamed James Bond game is in development at Hitman studio IO Interactive, as is a darker title from Elden Ring creator FromSoftware called The Duskbloods, which will be exclusive to the Switch 2.

The full list of announced Nintendo Switch 2 games includes:

Borderlands 4
Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster
Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition
Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion
Deltarune
Donkey Kong Bananza
Drag x Drive
EA Sports FC
EA Sports Madden NFL
Elden Ring Tarnished Edition
Enter the Gungeon 2
Fast Fusion
Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade
Fortnite
Hades 2
Hitman World of Assassination — Signature Edition
Hogwarts Legacy
Hollow Knight: Silksong
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment
Kirby Air Riders
Kirby and the Forgotten Land — Nintendo Switch 2 Edition and Star-Crossed World
Kunitsu-Gai: Path of the Goddess
Mario Kart World
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond — Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
NBA 2K
Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour
Nobunaga’s Ambition: Awakening Complete Edition
Pokemon Legends: Z-A — Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
Project 007
Puyo Puyo Tetris 2S
Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma — Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
Sid Meier’s Civilization 7 — Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
Split Fiction
Star Wars Outlaws
Starseeker: Astroneer Expeditions
Street Fighter 6
Super Mario Party Jamboree — Nintendo Switch 2 Edition and Jamboree TV
Survival Kids
The Duskbloods
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild — Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom — Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 and 4
WWE 2K
Yakuza 0 Definitive Edition

Among these titles, you can see the full list of June 5 Switch 2 launch day games here.

Nintendo GameCube library coming to Switch 2

The Nintendo Switch Online game library will add GameCube games to the Switch 2. On launch day, these games will initially include The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, SoulCalibur 2 and F-Zero GX, with each game getting enhanced graphics. Online multiplayer will also be added to certain titles. Super Mario Sunshine, Super Mario Strikers and Luigi’s Mansion are among the games set to arrive later. At launch, Nintendo will also sell a GameCube controller, which will be wireless and include a C button for GameChat.