The new Apple TV launched last week, bringing a full App Store to the big screen for the first time. Early sales charts seem to be weighted heavily towards games, showing that the device could become a success as a gaming machine as well as a media player.
Although Apple’s official screenshots of the tvOS App Store show ‘Top Charts’ and ‘Categories’ tabs, much like on iOS, these have yet to appear on the Apple TV. Presumably this is because the store is still in its infancy – Apple will likely update the interface once more apps are available and more sales data has been collected. Estimates suggest there are around 1,000 apps available so far.
Despite this, one plucky developer has managed to access the sales data and has shared the top 50 paid, free and grossing apps so far. The figures show a strong proclivity for gaming – nine of the top ten paid apps are games. The free apps, meanwhile, are dominated by content providers – Apps from TV networks, Hulu, Netflix and YouTube all feature heavily.
Also of note is that the games look like they are, on average, a little pricier than games in the iOS App Store. Aside from a few exceptions like Rayman Adventures, Crossy Road and Mr Jump, there are relatively few games in the free charts and there’s also only a handful clocking in at the low-end $0.99 point. Top seller Beat Sports – which uses the motion sensors in the Siri Remote for gesture based gameplay – is pitched at $9.99. Perhaps this will set the bar for more “premium” games on the Apple TV when compared with the gaming market on the iPhone.
You can check out the full charts here, but remember this is a snapshot of the App Store just a few days after its release. The page won’t automatically update as sales trends change.
Early app sales charts suggest the Apple TV could prove very popular with gamers: https://t.co/fz0GhuPqlw
— TapSmart (@TapSmart) November 2, 2015
Read more: Apple TV – the reviews are in!