In a first, a catalog of more than 1,300 classic games will come to the Apple Store for iPhone and iPad as of June 27, retro gaming service Antstream said Tuesday. Antstream Arcade’s upcoming launch on the App Store follows recent worldwide changes Apple made in response to the European Union’s Digital Markets Act.
Anstream Arcade launches on App Store June 27 with more than 1,300 classic games for iPhone and iPad
After the EU passed the DMA in late 2022 and it came into force in 2023 — attempting to foster marketplace competition among tech companies — Apple made a bunch of EU-specific changes to its App Review Guidelines. But it also made some worldwide changes — like allowing third-party game streaming services. After that, Antstream became the first game-streaming service to say it will launch an app for retro game streaming on the App Store. Good thing iOS 18 will include a new Game Mode.
The new streaming service is called Antstream Arcade. Its licensed library of more than 1,300 video games includes titles like Pong, Asteroids, Space Invaders and Hogs of War. The game titles cover a variety of old-school systems many people know and love from back in the day, like the Commodore 64, Atari 2600, PlayStation One and classic arcade games.
The service is already on other platforms in the EU, United States and Brazil, but it will arrive on the App Store on June 27, the company said.
For a limited time after its App Store launch, Antstream Arcade’s price will slightly undercut its pricing elsewhere. On the App Store it will temporarily cost $3.99 per month or $29.99 per year before reverting to the typical $4.99 per month or $39.99 per year.
We know plenty of retro gamers who will want to explore Antstream’s library for nostalgic gaming blasts from the past, or new-to-them titles they never knew existed.
