Apple Arcade: Everything you need to know

Alex Choros - Managing Editor + Group Telco Editor

Last updated 27 September 2019

Apple Arcade, Apple's new subscription service, is kind of like Netflix for video games. Instead of paying for each individual game you want to play, you pay a monthly fee that gets you access to over 50 titles, many of which are exclusives.

Better yet, these games are free from the trappings that tend to make mobile gaming a bad time. Every title on Apple Arcade is free from ads, free from timers that gate content, and free from in-app purchases. They're games that are just games, rather than money-sucking vampires designed to nickle-and-dime you to death.

Sounds pretty good, right? Anyway, here's everything to know about Apple Arcade.

How much does Apple Arcade cost in Australia?

Apple Arcade is $7.99 per month in Australia, with a free one-month trial available to subscribers. An Apple Arcade subscription will cover an entire family - up to six people. The five other members must be part of your Family Sharing group.

What devices does Apple Arcade work on?

Apple Arcade works on iPhones, iPads, and iPod touches running iOS 13 or later. It is also compatible with Apple TVs running tvOS 13, and will be available on Mac later this year.

Don't have an iPhone or need a new one? Here are some iPhone 16 plans:

#1	Optus	Optus $60 Optus Choice Plus Plan 100GB data Optus 5G in selected areas (exc NT) with a 5G device 36 mths device payments Deal: $39/mth and 100GB/mth for first 12 months, then 60GB/mth and $60/mth or as notified. New services. Ends 12.11.26. Terms apply. $73.68/mth Min. cost $1,287.48 Go to Site	$73.68/mth (plan + phone) Min. cost $1,287.48	Go to Site
#2	Optus	Optus $60 Optus Choice Plus Plan 100GB data Optus 5G in selected areas (exc NT) with a 5G device 24 mths device payments Deal: $39/mth and 100GB/mth for first 12 months, then 60GB/mth and $60/mth or as notified. New services. Ends 12.11.26. Terms apply. $91.02/mth Min. cost $1,287.48 Go to Site	$91.02/mth (plan + phone) Min. cost $1,287.48	Go to Site
#3	Optus	Optus $69 Optus Promo Plan 360GB data Optus 5G in selected areas (exc NT) with a 5G device 36 mths device payments Deal: Upgrade & Protect included when you add a phone on a payment plan. Plus, get up to $10/mth SubHub credit for 12 mths. T&Cs apply. $103.68/mth Min. cost $1,317.48 Go to Site	$103.68/mth (plan + phone) Min. cost $1,317.48	Go to Site
#4	Optus	Optus $70 Optus Choice Plus Plan 240GB data Optus 5G in selected areas (exc NT) with a 5G device 36 mths device payments $104.68/mth Min. cost $1,318.48 Go to Site	$104.68/mth (plan + phone) Min. cost $1,318.48	Go to Site
#5	Telstra	Telstra $84 Essential Upfront Mobile Plan 180GB data Telstra 5G Network in selected areas with 5G devices 36 mths device payments Deal: Get $10 off for first 12 months on new Upfront Essential Mobile Plan. New services only. Ends 05.10.26 $111.47/mth Min. cost $1,422.92 Link not supplied	$111.47/mth (plan + phone) Min. cost $1,422.92	Link not supplied
#6	Optus	Optus $69 Optus Promo Plan 360GB data Optus 5G in selected areas (exc NT) with a 5G device 24 mths device payments Deal: Upgrade & Protect included when you add a phone on a payment plan. Plus, get up to $10/mth SubHub credit for 12 mths. T&Cs apply. $121.02/mth Min. cost $1,317.48 Go to Site	$121.02/mth (plan + phone) Min. cost $1,317.48	Go to Site
#7	Optus	Optus $70 Optus Choice Plus Plan 240GB data Optus 5G in selected areas (exc NT) with a 5G device 24 mths device payments $122.02/mth Min. cost $1,318.48 Go to Site	$122.02/mth (plan + phone) Min. cost $1,318.48	Go to Site
#8	Optus	Optus $90 Optus Choice Plus Plan 480GB data Optus 5G in selected areas (exc NT) with a 5G device 36 mths device payments SubHub: Receive up to $20/mth SubHub credit when you have an active SubHub account with subs greater than $0. T&Cs apply $124.68/mth Min. cost $1,338.48 Go to Site	$124.68/mth (plan + phone) Min. cost $1,338.48	Go to Site
#9	Optus	Optus $90 Optus Choice Plus Plan 480GB data Optus 5G in selected areas (exc NT) with a 5G device 24 mths device payments SubHub: Receive up to $20/mth SubHub credit when you have an active SubHub account with subs greater than $0. T&Cs apply $142.02/mth Min. cost $1,338.48 Go to Site	$142.02/mth (plan + phone) Min. cost $1,338.48	Go to Site

What should I play on Apple Arcade?

With over 50 games available on Apple Arcade, working out what to play can be a bit overwhelming. We're only scratching the surface ourselves, but here are some of our favourites so far:

Grindstone: A surprisingly gory colour-matching puzzler
Sayonara Wild Hearts: A neon-soaked pop-music inspired endless runner rhythm game hybrid
What The Golf: A surreal golf game for people who don't like golf
Tint: A super relaxing puzzle game about blending colours
Mini Motorways: A brilliant highway management sim from the developers who brought you Mini Metro
Bleak Sword: A lo-fi take on Dark Souls

Apple Arcade's library is set to grow to over 100 games in the coming months.

Do you need to be online to use Apple Arcade?

While you need an internet connection to download games from Apple Arcade, you don't need to be online to play titles after they're installed on your device.

How much data does Apple Arcade use?

Downloading games from Apple Arcade requires data, although the exact amount depends on what title you're after. Expect to use anywhere between 100MB to 2GB per title. You can get a better idea of how big a game is in its App Store listing.

If you'd prefer to save mobile data, it's probably best to wait until you're on WiFi to download games from Apple Arcade.

After you've downloaded a game from Apple Arcade, it won't use data unless it has an online multiplayer component. However, in most cases, the data used by playing a mobile game online is negligible.

Alex Choros

Managing Editor + Group Telco Editor | X | Instagram | Threads | LinkedIn

Alex Choros is the Managing Editor of WhistleOut Australia and an award-winning journalist. He's been writing about consumer technology for over a decade and is an expert on the Australian telco sector, to the point where he knows far too many phone and internet plans by heart. In addition to leading the WhistleOut editorial team, Alex is responsible for ruining the office Sonos with his troubled taste in music.

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