The games still need to be installed via the App Store and are available on your iDevice. The
Apple Games app can be seen as a sort of hub / game launcher where you can easily communicate or launch your favorite games from one place.
There are still quite some work necessary in my opinion to use it as a game launcher with e.g. a controller such as Backbone One or Razer Kishi and such.
It does need to be said that unfortunately there are games in the App Store where the developer isn't correctly specifying in the right places in the App Store (top: 'controller Supported', 'Supports' area (below Privacy and such) as indicating it in the App Store description only or not indicating at all that their game supports controllers won't get you listed in this Games app so it seems which e.g. is the case for existing and expected titles:
Terraria, Grid Legends, Grid Autosport, Monoposto, Riptide GP, Rush Rally 2, Thronefall, Grand Mountain Adventure (2), Stardew Valley, Caves of Lore, Afterplace, Street Fighter IV CE, PPSSPP emulator, TMNT, Final Fantasy (series), Lost in Play, Final Freeway, ChronoMon, Subnautica, No Way Home
I sure hope developers do wake up and add this as soon as possible to get them to be fully compatible with Apple Games app.
A few good examples how it should be done by the developers: 'Pixel Cup Soccer - Ultimate, Balatro, Kings of Castle, The Pinball Wizard, Crashlands and also emulators such as RetroArch, Delta' do correctly indicate it in both places (although it couldn't harm to also mention in the description which isn't always the case either, however less of a 'problem' although it could convince players to play/buy I think if they overlook the other areas).
The examples games you also mention (Minecraft, COD) do indicate controller support in the 'Supports' area and at top controller area of the App Store (when checking on a iOS device) so that is probably the reason why you do see those in the Games app when filtering for controller supported games.
The funny thing at the moment is that the Apple Games app also lacks this indication in both places and description while it was mentioned at WWDC.
I do hope the final version will have the option to create your personal favorite list(s) vs only filtering on controller supported games installed on your device so to e.g. create a list of offline games, platform games, racing games. It would also be great to customize the app what you want to see as a user (I know probably not going to happen anytime soon). I would love to use it only as a game launcher with my Backbone controller and get rid of all the promoted apps, social part and Arcade as I just want to play my pay once controller or a few Netflix controller games. Since the official Backbone app still lacks to create favorite list(s) it only has support for recently played.
Side note: the
Backbone app still lacks a major feature to create your own personal game (lists) it can only show recently played games, there is no customization possible to get rid of promoted games (even as a paid subscriber)
the
Razer Nexus app is one of the best as far as customization (option to deselect things that are shown, create a favorite gamelist), however launching games needs a press on the screen if you use it with a Backbone controller. With the Razer Kishi it should in fact launch games with a button press for what I've read.
Original source:
my post on Reddit.
