iOS Game Development Requirements

People new to iOS game development want to know what’s required to make an iOS game. iOS game development has the following requirements:

  • An iOS device
  • An Apple developer account
  • Access to a Mac

If you have a Mac, an iOS device, and $99(US), you can develop and ship an iOS game.

iOS Device

You’re going to need an iOS device to test your game. It doesn’t matter much the type of iOS device: iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch. All that matters is the device is capable of running your game. Any device capable of running iOS 9 would make a good test device.

Apple Developer Account

You need an Apple developer account to submit apps to the App Store. If you own an Apple device, you probably created an Apple ID to use the device. You can use that Apple ID to create a developer account.

Go to Apple developer’s site and click the Account link at the top of the page. Sign in with your Apple ID. If you don’t have an Apple ID, click the Create yours now link to create an Apple ID.

When you start developing your game, you can stick with a free developer account. To put your app on the App Store, you must join Apple’s developer program and pay the $99(US) annual fee. But you can wait until you’re close to finishing your game to join the developer program.

Access to a Mac

You don’t need a Mac to make an iOS game. You can make an iOS game with the Unity game engine on a Windows computer. But you need access to a Mac to submit your game to the App Store.

If you’re not sure what kind of Mac to buy, make sure you get one that is capable of running the latest version of macOS. Any Mac made in the past 3–5 years should be suitable to develop iOS games.