Apple starts a new app that serves as a gaming hub

Apple announced a new app, the Games App, that serves as a gaming hub to replace its aging Game Center.

The app will replace Game Center and come pre-installed on Apple devices, with more functions.

Anne Thai of Apple said the new app will have a games section of the App Store and recommend games to you. The company made the announcement at the Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC).

Apple has had efforts in gaming in the past. It created Game Center in 2010 as a hub for game activities and a place to organize your games. And in 2019 it debuted Apple Arcade, funding a lot of game developers to make games for its subscription game service.

There is a library tab for all your games. You can play with a controller, making it easy to move from one game to another. You can compare scores and achievements with friends, and bring friends in score-based showdowns via Challenges in games. For developers, Challenges are built on top of Game Center leaderboards. Single-player games can be turned into competitions where you can crown a winner and see scores in real time. There are more ways to rally a group.

“It’s an all-in-one destination for games and playing with friends,” said Anne Thai at Apple.