Apple just dropped the gaming equivalent of a nuclear bomb at WWDC 2025, and the fallout is going to be felt across every corner of the industry. The company that once treated gaming like an awkward stepchild has suddenly decided it wants to sit at the big kids’ table.
Yesterday’s presentation made one thing crystal clear: Apple isn’t content with mobile gaming dominance anymore. The tech giant wants a piece of the AAA action, and they’re apparently bringing some serious firepower to make it happen.
Apple’s gaming infrastructure gets the premium treatment
The most telling sign of Apple‘s gaming ambitions came in the form of a dedicated “Games” app that will ship with every iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV starting this fall. It would seem that this isn’t just another app buried in settings; it’s front and center, demanding your attention like a spoiled child who finally got what they wanted.
The new infrastructure includes social features that directly compete with Steam’s community aspects. Players can now challenge friends, compare scores, and join multiplayer sessions without leaving the Apple ecosystem. It’s a move that essentially tells Valve to watch their back.
Craig Federighi, SVP of Software Engineering at Apple, highlighted the technical muscle behind this gaming push during his keynote speech yesterday:
It also levels up the gaming experience, starting with the new Games app, which brings together all the games you have on Mac. And when you’re in the game, a click on a controller brings up the new Game Overlay, where you can adjust the system settings that matter most mid-game, chat with friends, or invite them to play.
So, no more alt-tabbing (command-tabbing?) to adjust settings or check messages. Everything happens seamlessly within the gaming experience. Perhaps Apple has been paying attention to how people actually play games after all!
Metal 4 (learn more at Apple Developer) brings the technical firepower to back up their ambitious claims. Frame interpolation and hardware-accelerated ray tracing could put Mac gaming on equal footing with dedicated gaming hardware:
And for developers, macOS Tahoe introduces Metal 4, which brings next-generation rendering technologies to games, like frame interpolation, de-noising, and more.
This isn’t incremental improvement; it appears to be a fundamental shift in how Apple approaches gaming performance. The company finally acknowledges that pretty graphics matter, and they’re willing to invest in making them happen.
The AAA catalog that changes everything
The game lineup Apple showcased tells a story that goes far beyond technical specifications. Major publishers are now treating Mac as a legitimate gaming platform, not an afterthought that gets a port two years later if they’re feeling generous.
Pearl Abyss’ highly anticipated “Dragon’s Dogma 2 meets The Witcher 3“ title, Crimson Desert, exemplifies this shift perfectly. Federighi highlighted how the game makes use of Apple silicon:
Like Crimson Desert from Pearl Abyss, which takes advantage of Apple silicon to deliver incredible visuals and dynamic effects, providing a breathtaking open world with immersive details.
The complete list of games announced at WWDC 2025 reads like a Steam wishlist:
| Assassin’s Creed Shadows | Dead Island 2 |
| Sniper Elite 4 | Wuthering Waves |
| Control Ultimate Edition | Palworld |
| Resident Evil 7: Biohazard | Riven |
| Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown | Valheim |
| World of Warcraft: The War Within | Frostpunk 2 |
| Resident Evil 2 | RoboCop: Rogue City |
But the real knockout punch came with inZOI, which, according to Federighi, will launch its full release on Mac alongside consoles and PC later this year.
While PC gamers are already enjoying the Early Access version of this photorealistic life simulation game, it’s clear that Mac users won’t be left behind for the complete experience:
Apple silicon and MetalFX make every character and light source feel vivid and real, while the Neural Engine delivers exceptional performance for AI models. You can pre-order inZOI on Mac starting today, and it will be available later this year alongside consoles and PCs.
While it’s not technically a day-one launch since PC players have been building their virtual lives for months already, Apple securing the full release alongside consoles still shows how seriously publishers are taking the Mac gaming market now.
What’s your take on Apple’s aggressive gaming push? Can they really challenge Steam’s dominance, or is this just another expensive experiment? Share your thoughts below!
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
