iOS 14 and tvOS 14 bring all-new Game Center, expanded Xbox and Playstation controller capabilities

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Game Center, one of Apple’s less talked about platform components is getting an all-new design this year with a focus on finding games and playing with friends. Other details in WWDC game development talks this year include leveraging the new game controller advancements, how to offer users the ability to share clips from games, and more.

Apple highlights the all-new Game Center on the preview pages for iOS 14 and iPadOS 14. There are seven WWDC talks this year focused on game development and several of them covering how to take advantage of the new Game Center are available now.

A beautifully redesigned Game Center makes it easy to discover and experience games with friends. Quickly access achievements, leaderboards, and your Game Center profile right from the App Store and within your Game Center‑enabled games.

“Design for Game Center” is the intro to everything that’s new this year and you can find the new Human Interface Guidelines (HIG) for Game Center here.

Get your game’s interface ready for Game Center. We’ll show you how to deliver personalized touches to the GameKit interface that provide a rich experience for players, with features like achievements, leaderboards, and multiplayer gaming. Learn how to customize your game’s access point, design collectible card-style achievements and multiple leaderboards, and adapt your interface for all platforms and orientations.

Diving deeper, more talks include “Tap into Game Center: Dashboard, Access Point, and Profile,” “Tap into Game Center: Leaderboards, Achievements, and Multiplayer,” and “Advancements in Game Controllers.” The latter covers the new compatibility with the Xbox Elite 2 and Adaptive controllers, how to offer custom button mapping, leverage motion sensors, lights, designing custom rumble feedback for Xbox and Playstation controllers, and more.

We’ll show you how to add support for the latest controllers — including Xbox’s Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 and Adaptive Controller — and map your game’s controls accordingly. Learn how you can use the Game Controller framework in tandem with Core Haptics to enable rumble feedback. And find out how you can take your gaming experience to the next level with custom button mapping, nonstandard inputs, and control over specialty features like motion sensors, lights, and battery level. To get the most out of this session, you should be familiar with the Game Controller framework. Check the documentation link for a primer. And if you build games for iPad, be sure to check out “Bring keyboard and mouse gaming to iPad” for a guide on integrating keyboard, mouse, and trackpad inputs into your experience.