Tech

Apple's new subscription gaming service launches September 19 and costs $5 per month

Apple iPhone event 2019
Apple
Read in app

Apple's first-ever video game subscription service, Apple Arcade, is scheduled to arrive on September 19.

The service was given a release date and a $5 per month price during Apple's annual iPhone announcement event in Cupertino, California.

Additionally, Apple unveiled its first big exclusive games coming to Apple Arcade.

The first, "Frogger in Toy Town," is a fresh take on the gaming classic "Frogger":

Apple iPhone event 2019
The first game Apple unveiled on Tuesday afternoon was a new "Frogger" game from Konami, named "Frogger in Toy Town."  Apple

The second is a completely new game from the Japanese publishing giant Capcom, named "Shinkensai: Into the Depths." 

It's an underwater exploration game that looks completely unique from Capcom, a company most well-known for major franchises like "Street Fighter" and "Monster Hunter."

Apple iPhone event 2019
Apple

And finally, the third big exclusive game shown off is named "Sayonara Wildhearts."

It appears to be a kind of "Blade Runner" take on the "Temple Run" concept:

Apple iPhone event 2019
Apple

When Apple Arcade launches on September 19, it will gets its own dedicated tab within Apple's ubiquitous App Store.

The subscription gaming service offers access to "over 100" games across your Apple TV, iPhone, iPad, and Mac devices. Unlike some of the other gaming subscription services, Apple Arcade isn't streaming based — you'll download games from its library directly to your Apple device, and they'll be playable online and offline.

The big question surrounds the content that will be included in the service — Apple says it plans to unveil more games in the coming weeks. Of note: Every game on Apple Arcade is required to run on iPhone, which limits the size and the types of games available.

Read next

Ben was a senior correspondent based in New York City. He specialized in coverage of video games, consumer technology, food, and culture.He has a BA in magazine journalism from Temple University. He wrote for the Philly Weekly and served as a senior reporter at Joystiq before joining Engadget as a senior editor in 2012.Ben joined Tech Insider as a member of the founding staff in April 2015 and transitioned to Insider in July 2016. He doesn't like writing in the third person.