Apple made an exciting announcement about the Game Mode for iOS 18 at the Worldwide Developers Conference in June 2024. The much-awaited feature will be rolled out to iPhones this fall in the stable release of iOS 18. For testing, the game mode was initially launched for iOS 18 Beta on August 20, 2024. This guide gives an overview of the Game Mode and steps to use it on an iPhone.
How Good is Game Mode for iOS 18
- Improves gameplay performance: Game Mode optimizes background processes to ensure you play a game with higher frame rates.
- Low latency with AirPods: It drastically reduces latency, so you can play games with better response when using AirPods and game controllers.
- Personalized Spatial Audio: Game Mode allows developers to build a game with a mind-boggling soundstage. Gaming enthusiasts will get a chance to experience real action like never before.
Steps to Use Game Mode on iPhone in iOS 18 Beta
1. Ensure your iPhone runs on the latest iOS 18 Beta version. If you haven’t updated yet, you need to join the Apple Beta Software Program to do so.
Note: To update to iOS 18 Beta, go to Settings on your iPhone → General Software Update → Beta Updates → iOS 18 Developer Beta.
2. Launch a game on your iPhone.
3. Once the game launches, you can see the Game Mode On notification at the top of the screen.
4. To turn off the game mode, click the pop-up notification that you see it.
Note: Alternatively, swipe down from the top right of your iPhone screen to open the Control Center. Hit the Game Mode indicator to disable the option.
Remember that you can’t stop Game Mode from turning on before the game runs for the first time. You can only turn it off once a game runs.
The inclusion of Game Mode in iOS 18 makes users look forward to signing up for the Apple Arcade subscription. Apple also added that they are rolling out Game Porting Toolkit 2 for macOS Sequoia. It will help developers bring the best games from Windows to Mac and then port them to iPad and iPhone.