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Gaming

29th Jan 2019

Apple are reportedly developing a subscription service for games

Rory Cashin

Games

It will essentially be a Netflix for video games.

There are already some variations of streaming services for games specific to consoles, such as the PlayStation Now, which allows players to pay per month for access to hundreds of older games both from the PS4 and previous consoles.

However, the talk that Apple is looking to venture into this world of games streaming could be a huge one, making it more universally accessible in much the same way that Netflix have done for movies and TV streaming.

Tech website Cheddar are reporting that Apple began privately discussing a subscription service with game developers in the second half of 2018.

Five different sources close to the company have all corroborated the story, which would mean the tech company are looking to cash in on the consistently growing gaming and E-Sports audiences, especially given that there are over 720 million iPhones currently in use around the world.

Finanical insight company Newzoo have reported that mobile gaming alone – as in, not including console gaming – will be valued over $100 billion by the year 2021.

A per-month subscription basis for games via the Apple Store would likely give players access to some older console games and more up-to-date mobile games, but it could potentially also be tied in with the upcoming Apple movie and TV streaming service, which is set to be in direct competition with established likes of Netflix and Amazon Prime.

If this is the case, then it might be feasible that players could control games on their TV screens using control on their mobile phones.

Of course, this is all hypothetical at the moment, but it does mean that viewers and players are set to have even more choice in these fields going forward.

For a full breakdown of the tv and movie streaming services already available to Irish customers, you can read all about those right here.