Apple reports growth in premium iOS games as new App Store chief outlines gaming strategy

Apple is seeing an increase in premium game releases on the App Store as more independent developers and established PC and console franchises expand to iPhone and iPad, according to Carson Oliver, the company’s new head of App Store Worldwide.

In an interview with Polygon, Oliver discussed Apple’s gaming strategy, the future of Apple Arcade and the company’s efforts to attract developers through hardware improvements, game development tools and App Store discovery features.

The comments follow Apple’s Indie Games Week, which began on October 12 and highlighted seven independent titles arriving on iPhone and iPad, including Sifu, Vampire Crawlers and No Man’s Sky.

Oliver, who assumed leadership of the App Store following Phil Schiller’s departure from day-to-day oversight, said the number of premium games released on Apple’s storefront has increased compared with last year.

While Apple did not provide specific release figures, Oliver pointed to independent games and PC and console franchises as two categories contributing to the increase.

Apple’s gaming strategy increasingly includes premium titles sold through upfront purchases alongside free-to-play games and subscription-based offerings. According to Oliver, more premium games have arrived on the App Store in 2026 than in 2025, with independent developers accounting for a substantial portion of those releases.

The company is also seeing more PC and console franchises expand to mobile devices, reflecting efforts to bring games traditionally associated with dedicated gaming hardware to smartphones and tablets.

Oliver identified cozy games, management simulations and roguelikes as genres performing well on Apple’s platforms. Titles including Balatro, Stardew Valley, Slay the Spire and Bloons TD 6 were among the examples he cited when discussing the market for premium mobile games.

He also highlighted a generational shift in gaming habits, noting that many younger players began gaming on smartphones rather than traditional consoles or PCs. For these users, touchscreen interaction is a familiar control method rather than an alternative to conventional controllers.

Apple’s position is that this audience creates opportunities for developers to adapt existing games or build experiences specifically around iPhone and iPad hardware. However, the company has not disclosed updated sales figures for premium games or the proportion of App Store gaming revenue generated by paid downloads.

Oliver also addressed the role of Apple Arcade as the company expands its catalog of premium games available through direct purchases. Launched in 2019, Apple Arcade provides access to a collection of games through a subscription model, offering an alternative to purchasing individual titles.

The growing number of premium releases outside the service has raised questions about how Apple intends to position Arcade alongside the broader App Store.

Oliver indicated that Apple plans to maintain multiple distribution and monetization options rather than prioritize a single business model. He cited Balatro as an example of a game that can succeed as a paid download while also being available through Apple Arcade. This approach allows developers to choose between direct sales, subscription distribution and other supported business models based on their commercial strategies. The recently featured Vampire Crawlers, for example, launched directly on the App Store rather than joining Apple Arcade.

Oliver did not announce changes to Apple Arcade’s pricing, subscription structure or content strategy. He also did not disclose updated subscriber numbers or financial performance figures for the service.

Apple’s gaming ambitions are also supported by investments in hardware and software intended to make it easier to bring games to its devices. Oliver pointed to improvements in Apple’s graphics technology, including hardware-accelerated ray tracing and the Metal graphics framework.

The company has also developed Game Porting Toolkit 4, MetalFX and open-source Unity plug-ins to help developers adapt existing games for Apple platforms. These technologies are intended to reduce the technical work involved in converting games originally developed for Windows PCs and consoles.

Oliver highlighted the A20 Pro chip and the vapor chamber cooling system in the iPhone 18 Pro as examples of hardware developments supporting more demanding gaming experiences.

The improvements are particularly relevant to developers considering whether to release games simultaneously across mobile, PC and console platforms.

Beyond hardware capabilities, Oliver emphasized the importance of helping independent developers reach audiences through the App Store. Apple uses editorial collections, featured placements and promotional campaigns to introduce games to users who may not be actively searching for specific titles.

Indie Games Week was designed around this approach, providing dedicated visibility for seven releases while highlighting additional independent games already available on the storefront.

Apple has also introduced Creative Assets, a feature that gives developers more control over the artwork displayed in App Store search results and product page headers.

The changes are intended to support how games are presented to potential customers and how developers communicate their products through the storefront.