How to get a sneak peek at upcoming Apple Arcade titles

Apple Arcade hero image

Wouldn’t it be great if you could see upcoming games that will launch soon on Apple Arcade, the iPhone maker’s game-subscription service? With the new App Store features available on iOS 14, iPadOS 14 and macOS 11 Big Sur, you can do just that. Follow along with our quick tutorial as we show you how to get a sneak peek at upcoming Apple Arcade games.

Discovering upcoming Apple Arcade games

Previously, the App Store in iOS 13, iPadOS 13 and macOS Catalina brought all the current Apple Arcade titles to the Arcade tab. You could browse the entire Apple Arcade catalog, but there was no way to see upcoming titles before they officially released on the App Store.

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The App Store on iOS 14, iPadOS 14 and macOS Big Sur changes that. Not only can you browse everything available on the service, but see titles that are coming soon as well.

WWDC 2020 slide: Craig Federighi in front of the App Store screen

This is a great way of getting excited about future Apple Arcade releases. You can easily explore details about an upcoming game, watch the official promotional videos, view the screenshots, discover what the title is all about and so forth.

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And now, follow along with our quick tutorial embedded right head for step-by-step instructions showing you how to get a sneak peek at upcoming Apple Arcade titles.

How to see upcoming Apple Arcade games

On iPhone and iPad

Follow these steps to view upcoming Apple Arcade games on your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch:

  1. Open the App Store app on your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch.
  2. Tap the Arcade tab at the bottom.
  3. Tap the See All Games button at the very bottom of the list.
  4. Browse upcoming Apple Arcade games underneath the heading Coming Soon.

All unreleased titles display a Coming Soon label below the developer’s name.

Upcoming Apple Arcade games - a message say gin the user will be notified when the game becomes available

If you like a particular game, you can tap the Get button to tell the App Store to automatically notify you the day it’s publicly debuted. This won’t automatically download the game — you’ll need to do that manually on each device you wish to play that game on.

On Mac

Follow these steps to view upcoming Apple Arcade games on your Mac:

  1. Click the App Store icon in the Dock or choose the App Store option from the Mac menu.
  2. Click the Arcade tab in the lefthand sidebar.
  3. Scroll all the way to the bottom, then click the See All Games button.
  4. Browse upcoming Apple Arcade games listed below the Coming Soon heading.

You can tap an upcoming Apple Arcade game to access its App Store page for details like the description, screenshots and preview videos, system requirements, key features and so forth.

Upcoming Apple Arcade games - Mac App Store with the Coming Soon section highlighted in the Arcade tab

If you tap a Get button next to an upcoming game, it will  become greyed out and you should be greeted with a message confirming that the App Store will notify you as soon as that particular game becomes available on the store, so that you can download it then if you like.

Other Apple Arcade enhancements

Gaming fans have a lot to look forward to when iOS 14, iPadOS 14 and macOS 11 Big Sur drop for public consumption in the fall. Aside from seeing upcoming titles, subscribers can see what their Game Center friends are playing right from the Arcade and Games tabs.

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And on Apple Arcade game pages, you can see the available achievements in games along with your progress. You can also launch any recently played title from the Arcade tab.

Mac App Store showing the game Rayman Mini in the Arcade tab

The App Store also brings the ability to browse the entire Apple Arcade catalog, as well as sort and filter titles by release date, updates, category, controller support and more. And with a redesigned Game Center, you can access the in-game dashboard to see your friends’ game progress and access your profile with all your achievements, leaderboards and more.

50 major new features in iOS 14

For a quick overview of the 50 headline new iPhone and iPod touch features introduced with iOS 14, be sure to watch our hands-on video walkthrough embedded right ahead.

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