A silent but clear sign
Although the website is currently empty, its behavior has changed. Previously, trying to access games.apple.com would result in a “server not found” error. Now, it opens to a blank page, which indicates that Apple has set up the domain but hasn’t made the content public yet. This small shift is often a sign that a new feature or product announcement is close, possibly going live right after the WWDC keynote.As for what the domain might include, there are a couple of possibilities. It could act as a marketing page that introduces users to the Games app, much like the current apps.apple.com landing page. But there’s also a chance it will offer more than that — like web previews of games from the catalog, complete with sharable links and browser-friendly content. That could make it easier for users to discover games and share them outside of the native app experience.
It is expected that Apple Arcade will be part of this new gaming hub. | Image credit — Apple
Why now?
This comes at a time when Apple seems to be slowly increasing its focus on gaming. Over the past year, we’ve seen improvements to Apple Arcade, better support for game controllers, and performance gains with newer Apple silicon chips. As we noted earlier, Apple has been building the pieces for a stronger gaming ecosystem. A dedicated Games app could tie it all together, making it easier for users to find and track titles across iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, and Mac.
There’s still a lot we don’t know. While a central hub for games sounds promising, Apple has a long way to go before it can match the experience offered by traditional gaming platforms. Still, this quiet domain launch is one more sign that Apple is getting more serious about its place in the gaming space.
We’ll know more once the WWDC keynote kicks off today at 10 AM Pacific.
