When Apple opened its App Store in July 2008, one of the most striking details was the high proportion of games among the first 500 apps. Roughly a third of that launch lineup was built for play rather than productivity, turning the iPhone from a sleek status symbol into an unexpectedly capable handheld console almost overnight.
Seventeen years on, the platform that started without any official third-party software now sits at the center of a mobile games industry worth tens of billions of dollars a year. Researchers at Business of Apps estimate that mobile games generated around 81 billion dollars in global revenue in 2023, with iOS accounting for roughly 47.7 billion of that total across iPhone and iPad. Analysts and developers widely credit Apple’s combination of hardware, software, and store design with setting the template that rival platforms have had to follow.
From closed device to global playground
The original iPhone, released in 2007, shipped without an app marketplace and without sanctioned games. That changed in mid-2008, when Apple rolled out the App Store and chief executive Steve Jobs told USA Today that 500 applications were available on day one, with 10 million downloads arriving in the opening weekend. Apple’s own retrospective on the Store’s first decade later described the launch as a moment that “changed how people work, play, meet, travel and so much more,” underlining the role of games in that shift.
Over time, the number of apps climbed into the millions, but games never moved to the margins. A 2018 feature on iOS gaming by MacStories estimated that between 35 and 40 percent of App Store titles were games, only slightly higher than the rough one-third share at launch. What changed instead was the scale of the catalog and the size of the audience, as iPhones and iPads became default devices for casual players and big spending hobbyists alike.
Hardware cycles and a rising performance bar
Behind the storefront, Apple’s approach to hardware helped shape what mobile games could be. Annual iPhone refreshes brought faster chipsets and higher resolution screens, with Apple’s in-house A series processors gradually closing the gap with traditional consoles on raw performance. Developers began to treat high-end iPhones and iPads as targets for elaborate 3D worlds, complex physics, and long-form live service titles rather than simple puzzle games.
High-profile releases such as Genshin Impact and Call of Duty Mobile regularly featured iOS prominently in their marketing campaigns, reflecting both the technical capabilities of the devices and the commercial importance of the App Store audience. Publishers talked about parity between mobile and console versions, and the line between “phone game” and core gaming experience blurred further each year.
The economics of a curated store
If hardware set the technical limits, the App Store’s tightly controlled economics defined the business. For most of the platform’s history, Apple has taken a 30 percent commission on digital sales, with a lower tier for smaller developers introduced in 2020. That rate has been controversial, yet it has coincided with remarkable spending on iOS games.
Research from S&P Global in 2022 suggested that games accounted for about 70 percent of all App Store revenue at that time, even as subscription services and productivity apps grew. More recent estimates still place gaming as the single largest category of consumer spending on iOS, with one 2025 forecast projecting that games will contribute around 60 percent of App Store takings this year.
Curation has also been a key differentiator. Apple’s editorial teams select featured titles, highlight developers, and promote seasonal collections on the Store’s front page. Independent studios frequently describe a prominent feature as transformative for their businesses, turning niche projects into mainstream hits.
At the same time, long-running chart toppers in genres from battle royale to puzzle have anchored a market where free-to-play models dominate.
The casino effect and new monetization models
As free-to-play design took hold, mobile titles shifted away from fixed upfront prices toward in-app purchases, ads, and hybrid monetization. Sensor Tower and other analytics firms have tracked that transition across the past decade, noting the rise of battle passes, cosmetic skins, and gacha-style reward systems. In this environment, casino-influenced mechanics and full casino experiences found a natural home on iOS.
Real money casino apps now operate in markets where regulators permit them, while social and sweepstakes-style products fill gaps elsewhere with virtual currencies and prize draws. Industry comparison pieces that rank the most trusted social casino sites routinely treat iOS as a primary habitat, reflecting both user spending habits and the polish of native Apple apps. The same interfaces that host blockbuster role-playing games and shooters also carry slots-style reels and card tables into the mainstream.
Apple’s review guidelines and payment rules have shaped how far those products can go, limiting aggressive tactics in some cases and rejecting apps that mimic real money gambling too closely in restricted territories. Developers and publishers continue to debate those boundaries. Still, the presence of casino-style titles near the top of revenue charts indicates how deeply they are woven into the overall games economy on iOS.
Challenges to control and the epic dispute
Apple’s grip on that economy has drawn sustained scrutiny. The long-running legal battle with Epic Games over Fortnite’s removal from the App Store pushed questions about commissions, alternative payment systems, and competition into public hearings. Epic chief executive Tim Sweeney has repeatedly framed the dispute as a fight over “digital freedom,” while Apple executives have defended the company’s model as a way to fund platform development and maintain security for users.
Regulators on both sides of the Atlantic have taken notice. In the United States, court rulings have forced Apple to allow developers to direct users to external payment options in some circumstances. In the European Union, the Digital Markets Act opened the door to alternative app storefronts on iOS. Epic responded by launching its own mobile game store globally for Android and in the EU for iOS. According to Reuters, in early 2025, the company planned to bring dozens of third-party titles to that platform and temporarily cover Apple’s technology fees for some partners.
Conclusion: A template under pressure, but still dominant
Those moves have begun to chip away at the closed loop that historically defined iOS gaming, yet the core template remains intact. Curated distribution, unified hardware, and a single tap payment experience continue to make the App Store a focal point for mobile game launches. Forecasts for 2025 from industry analysts suggest that Apple’s marketplace is set to generate well over 100 billion dollars in total revenue, with games retaining their leading share.
For developers, publishers, and regulators, the evolution of iOS has created both an extraordinary commercial engine and a concentrated point of control. The platform’s influence now reaches from small independent studios to multibillion-dollar acquisitions of hit mobile franchises. Whatever shape future rules on fees and competition take, the long arc from a 500 app launch in 2008 to today’s sprawling catalog shows how Apple’s choices around software, hardware, and store design helped set the standard that mobile gaming still largely follows.
