{
  "id": 15696042,
  "title": "Apple still doesn't understand gamers in spite of iPhone being a gaming powerhouse",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/20/apple-still-doesnt-understand-gamers-in-spite-of-iphone-being-a",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-20T03:37:27.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "AppleInsider",
    "slug": "appleinsider",
    "url": "https://appleinsider.com/articles/26/10/20/apple-still-doesnt-understand-gamers-in-spite-of-iphone-being-a-gaming-powerhouse"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Apple seems to have missed the mark when it comes to understanding gamers, despite the iPhone being a gaming powerhouse. In an interview with Polygon, Apple's App Store Worldwide head Carson Oliver highlighted the company's commitment to gaming, mentioning powerful GPUs in Apple Silicon, gaming-specific developer tools, and a Mac gaming app. However, these efforts appear to be falling short. Despite having a powerful platform for gaming on the iPhone, which is the most profitable gaming platform on Earth due to the massive ownership and game purchases, many gamers do not consider iPhones, iPads, or Macs as gaming platforms. The games available on these devices are often criticized as \"mobile\" games. Apple's previous attempts to cater to gamers, such as the Apple Games app, have not been successful. The latest move, Indie Games Week, is seen as a promising step, but without a broader shift, nothing will change. While mobile games have advanced and their visuals are impressive, the presence of loot boxes, gacha, and other monetization schemes undermines the gaming experience. Apple Arcade offers a great promise, but the games are often just ports from mobile games or Steam, lacking the depth and immersion found in console or PC games. Nintendo Switch's popularity is attributed to its fun and whimsical titles that don't require advanced GPUs, a stark contrast to Apple's offerings. The company has had numerous attempts at bringing AAA games to the iPhone, but they have all fallen short. The issue lies in Apple's lack of understanding of the gaming market and its reluctance to invest the necessary time and effort. The gaming community has been advocating for simpler, more manageable games that offer a full-price experience at launch, rather than being buried in microtransactions and free-to-play models. While Apple has made strides in terms of hardware and porting tools, it still needs to create a gaming platform that can compete with consoles and PC. The community has been pushing for a platform where games can be purchased once for a full price, without the need for intrusive monetization schemes.",
  "summary": "An interview with the new App Store Worldwide head shows Apple is still playing by the same rulebook that fails to nail down what gamers want or need from a mobile platform. Apple still doesn't quite get what gamers want If you've been following Apple long enough, you've heard this one before — Apple is finally serious about gaming . That's the mantra we've heard time and again from various…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}