Apple gaming

[Cmaier]

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-05-27/apple-to-debut-dedicated-gaming-app-within-days-of-switch-2-s-arrival

Apple is creating some sort of “gaming app” according to German. Sounds something like the steam app?

They also just bought the (tiny) studio behind sneaky sasquatch.

 

[Vincent Hannah]

Tiny? More like microscopic: two people working on one game.

 

[Cmaier]

Tiny? More like microscopic: two people working on one game.

yep. very strange purchase, right?

 

[mr_roboto]

yep. very strange purchase, right?

Maybe an acquihire?

 

[Cmaier]

Maybe an acquihire?

Apple acquisitions are almost always aquihires. But what are these two going to work on?

 

[mr_roboto]

Beats me!

 

[Vincent Hannah]

The Digital Trends article includes a quote from an Apple spokesman that clearly indicates the two hires will continue to work on Sneaky Sasquatch.

“We love Sneaky Sasquatch and are excited that the 2-person RAC7 team has joined Apple to continue their work on it with us,” an Apple spokesperson tells Digital Trends.

 

[diamond.g]

Apple acquisitions are almost always aquihires. But what are these two going to work on?

They are going to keep updating the game, it appears. Maybe this is the start of making tent poles for getting folks to subscribe to Apple Arcade.

 

[Jimmyjames]

Happy to inform people that these moves will undoubtedly result in Apple gaming being DOOMED! As all efforts are, I am reliably told by reddit/twitter.

The only correct move is to do whatever Apple didn’t do.

 

[swk9]

It's been discussed elsewhere but I think a lot of people just want more selections after Steam Desk and Proton showed there's a way around the Windows domination. To me that does feel un-Apple-y but they have previously done Bootcamp and it can be throught as something similar.

However despite all the hype around Steam Deck, it still needs to be seen in the context since it's just mind blowing how small and niche Steam Deck is relative to consoles and PC gaming. I've read an estimation of 6 million Steam Decks sold earlier this year since the product's debut. Nintendo sold more than 50 million Switches in the first three years. So maybe Apple just doesn't see a big enough business case for catering to that crowd.

 

[diamond.g]

I don't have high hopes for Apple making a gaming app. Especially if they don't plan on separating games from the normal App Store. Unless I am mistaken, doesn't the App store basically get all its revenue from games?

It is kind of like how MS has the Xbox App, which really is only used on PC cause GamePass. Even Epic giving away free games weekly isn't enough to dethrone Steam as the gaming storefront of choice.

 

[thenewperson]

I don't have high hopes for Apple making a gaming app. Especially if they don't plan on separating games from the normal App Store.

Based on the rumours around this (at least iirc) this is exactly what they intend to do. Seems like a combination of App Store gaming section + game centre stuff.