Platforms Are Repackaging Mobile Games

Apple Arcade’s addition of new games, Netflix’s expansion of its mobile app and kids’ games, and Samsung’s push to spotlight the mobile gaming experience with the Galaxy S26 Ultra all point to the same reality in the same stretch of days: access to mobile games is no longer limited to the app store alone. Platforms are tying game distribution more tightly to their own services and hardware layer.

Apple Arcade expands its library

Apple Arcade has added four new games to its library and announced that five more will arrive over the next month. With this move, the service’s catalog of more than 200 titles has expanded once again.

The newly added games are Mini Football Legends, My Talking Tom 2+, Coffee Inc 2+ and FreeCell Solitaire: Card Game+. In the next wave Apple announced, Family Feud Pocket is on the way. The game will join the library on Tuesday, June 30. It blends the classic format hosted by Steve Harvey with daily challenges and special questions. Players can jump in solo or in local and online multiplayer.

Apple also revealed the four titles arriving on Thursday, July 2. Dungeon Clawler+, Creatures of the Deep+, Pocket City 2+ and Draw It+ will all be added to the service on the same day. Apple briefly introduced each game, highlighting a roguelike experience, a fishing adventure, a city-building game and a drawing-focused guessing game among the different genres.

What makes Apple Arcade stand out is not just the growing number of games. Its ad-free format, with no in-app purchases, preserves the core line that separates it from other mobile gaming experiences. Its $6.99 monthly price and inclusion in the Apple One bundle also show that its distribution model remains subscription-first.

Netflix expands its mobile app in Asia-Pacific

Netflix has also taken a similar path of expansion on the games and mobile side. At its APAC Product Innovation Showcase event, the company announced that it will roll out its refreshed mobile experience to more markets in the Asia-Pacific region and expand Netflix Playground, its space for kids.

The redesigned mobile interface had previously launched in Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines, India and Malaysia. The company is now bringing it to South Korea and Japan as well. More Asia-Pacific markets will follow. One of the main additions here is the Clips feature, which aims for quick content consumption through short vertical videos. Netflix also plans to grow this structure with thematic Clips collections. These collections will be organized by mood, interest and genre, and will include everything from reality shows and behind-the-scenes footage to podcast excerpts.

On the games side, Netflix Playground is also expanding. This kids-focused area will grow with six mini-games based on KPop Demon Hunters. The fact that the title reached more than 518 million views in its first six months also explains why Netflix is bringing this content to the game side. The company wants families to spend more time on the platform.

This shift is not just another app update. Netflix is tightening the connection between viewing behavior and gaming behavior inside the same mobile experience. That approach brings the distribution question discussed in “Why Are Games Suddenly More Visible on the App Store and Google Play?” into the distribution layer itself.

Samsung ties the gaming experience directly to the phone

On Samsung’s side, the focus is not software but the device itself. The Galaxy S26 Ultra targets users who want to jump into mobile gaming with stronger hardware and display features. The company’s message here is clear: download the game to your phone, try it quickly, and keep going without stutter.

The device includes the Qualcomm Snapdragon Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy mobile chip. That is paired with up to 16GB of memory and up to 1TB of storage. Samsung also emphasizes the visual side with a 6.9-inch QHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X display, up to a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate, ProScaler and Precision mDNIe. A large battery, fast charging and improved cooling are also among the features meant to support longer gaming sessions.

The significance of this messaging is that mobile gaming is no longer framed only as a lightweight experience, but as a more serious use case. Samsung is presenting the phone as a near-standalone gaming device that does not require extra accessories.

Read together, the three moves paint a clear picture. Apple is making games more central inside its subscription bundle. Netflix is extending its video app with short-form content and kids’ games. Samsung, meanwhile, is strengthening the gaming experience at the device level. Because the same mobile access space is being rebuilt through different channels, the way players reach games is changing too.