Command & Conquer:  Rivals.

23 games for your new iPhone

If you got a new iPhone over the holidays, one of the best ways to enjoy it and show it off is to play games. I’ve been checking out new iPhone devices — the iPhone XS Max and the iPhone XR — during the past couple of months, and thought I would share a list of games to play on them.

These games are one reason why mobile gaming has become a $63.2 billion industry worldwide, according to market researcher Newzoo. This week is when people get their new devices and are most likely to load new apps and games onto them. Or they may use their gift cards to purchase paid games. It’s the last major push of the year for the part of the gaming industry that plays games on mobile devices.

Unlock premium content and VIP community perks with GB M A X! Join now to enjoy our free and premium perks. 

Join now →

Sign in to your account.

Dean Takahashi

Dean Takahashi is editorial director for GamesBeat. He has been a tech journalist since 1988, and he has covered games as a beat since 1996. He was lead writer for GamesBeat at VentureBeat from 2008 to April 2025. Prior to that, he wrote for the San Jose Mercury News, the Red Herring, the Wall Street Journal, the Los Angeles Times, and the Dallas Times-Herald. He is the author of two books, "Opening the Xbox" and "The Xbox 360 Uncloaked." He organizes the annual GamesBeat Next, GamesBeat Summit and GamesBeat Insider Series: Hollywood and Games conferences and is a frequent speaker at gaming and tech events. He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.