HOW TO Get started with Apple Arcade

1 Sign up

Open the App Store app and select the Arcade tab. Click the Start Playing button to sign up, or instead try downloading a game (this will prompt you to sign up). Now, follow the on-screen prompts to start subscribing.

4 Add controllers

Lots of games work better with controllers. To connect a controller to your Mac, you’ll usually need to press its pairing button, then select Connect next to the controller’s name in System Settings > Bluetooth.

7 Continue Playing

Your game progress syncs to your other devices when you’re signed in to iCloud and Game Center on them. To open games played on other devices, launch the App Store, go to the Arcade tab, then scroll to Continue Playing.

2 Browse games

You can now download and play games from the Arcade tab. Find games by searching or by selecting a category at the top of the page. Select the Get button to start downloading a game. When it’s done, click Play.

5 Tweak controls

Some controllers’ settings can be customised. In macOS 13 (Ventura) or later, connect the controller, then go to System Settings > Game Controllers. Add a profile and change some of the settings to your liking.

8 Achievements

Many Apple Arcade games come with achievements. To see yours, open the App Store and click your name in the bottom-left, then select Game Center Profile > Achievements and pick a game from the resulting list.

3 Family Sharing

If you’ve set up Family Sharing and Apple Arcade, all family members automatically get shared access to your subscription. Go to System Settings and click your name at the top, then go to Family Sharing > Set Up Family.

6 Assign a profile

Return to the Game Controllers page and select your controller. Click ‘+’ in the bottom-left corner and add a game, then select the menu next to Use Profile and pick your new configuration to use its modified controls.

9 Invite friends

You can invite friends to Apple Arcade and see what games they have been playing. Go to the Arcade section of the App Store, then scroll down to ‘Friends are Playing’. You can install any games from here if you want.