The iPad could be mobile esports’ secret weapon — all thanks to iPadOS 26

On June 9, Apple hosted its yearly WWDC developer conference, where it announced several updates to the software that powers all of its devices. One in particular was iPadOS 26, the next version of its operating system for the tablet. It’s an update that many owners have been waiting for, as it brings several long-awaited features, such as multitasking similar to the Mac, a menubar for every app, and a brand new look called Liquid Glass.

Apple also announced a new app, called Games. This will act as a hub where users can download new and upcoming games, as well as send invites to family and friends for multiplayer battles. Overall, it’s a big update for the iPad family, but with the rapid rise of mobile esports, Apple’s tablet could be the big piece of the puzzle for the category to thrive as we head into the latter half of 2025.

Although we’re not expecting iPadOS 26 to be available for compatible iPad devices until later this year, we can already see what the upcoming update is capable of by trying out an early version of it. Anyone can do this by going to Settings > General > Software Update > Beta Updates > iPadOS 26 Developer Beta. However, as it’s a very early version, be aware that it’s likely prone to bugs, so you may experience slowdown and crashes on your iPad.

The big update for iPadOS is the ability to arrange apps on the display in any way you want. For example, if you want three apps side by side, or four in each quarter of the screen, it’s now possible. There’s also ‘Background Tasks’, which means content creators can let their videos render and process while they use other apps. Finally, the dedicated Games app lets players discover new games from Apple’s App Store, as well as invite friends and family to multiplayer games, and compete with one another on several leaderboards.

It looks like Apple has focused iPadOS 26 for content creators and gamers in mind — a perfect combination for mobile esports, and it’s mainly down to the iPad’s form factor. Players and esports organisers can buy a new iPad in any size and benefit from what the latest update will bring. This means they can tailor the iPad to suit their needs: from video editing mobile esports matches, to players using them for games like Fortnite and soon, VALORANT Mobile with a connected controller.

In 2024, the mobile esports market brought in roughly $139.2 billion, and it’s set to rise to $163.8 billion by 2028. But this depends on more games making the move from console and PC to mobile devices, and this number could be more if Apple positions iPad and iPadOS in the right way for the category.

If the mobile esports scene begins to utilise iPads more for behind-the-scenes tasks, as well as players using them for games like Fortnite, PUBG Mobile, and soon VALORANT: Mobile, it could position the device as the primary gaming handheld for mobile esports events worldwide. No one wants to use their personal mobile handsets to play these games in a professional scene either, so to have a device that’s more portable and easy to set up, compared to a PC and console, could also be easier for esports organisers when setting up the tournaments.

Ultimately, the mobile esports scene could benefit hugely from the iPad and iPadOS 26, respectively — not just for the players in the tournaments to take advantage of the new multitasking and gaming features, but also for the organisers to quickly edit videos, set up the intricacies of the events, and more.

Ironically, the biggest obstacle could be Apple itself. For years now, the company has reinforced a commitment to gaming, such as its gaming console from 1996, the Pippin, and more recently, its Game Porting Toolkit that allows developers to easily convert its Windows-only games to Apple platforms. But the company has never gone full force into the category, always teetering at the edge, waiting for a third-party to carry it into the realm of serious commitment.

Apple has also been known to focus on one platform for a short while, leave it for a number of years, then look to improve it once users begin to show disdain. The latest example was, ironically, again, the iPad. For years, multitasking on the tablet has been a mess, with the previous effort, called Stage Manager, debuting in 2022 with iPadOS 16, and few improvements have been made since. Apple has to show a clear commitment to gaming, and a great example of this would be to focus iPadOS 26 as the perfect operating system for mobile esports players and organisers.

Apple has a mantra of abiding by a quote made by hockey player Wayne Gretzky: “I skate to where the puck is going, not where it’s been.” But with iPadOS 26, it has had to slightly push back from that statement. In our time testing out the upcoming software update, we’ve found the new multitasking features to be far better than they ever have been with the iPad, putting it toe-to-toe with macOS in how you can manage your productivity with several apps running at once.

For mobile esports, the power of the iPad line and iPadOS 26, as well as the new Games app, can only help spur more games to the platform, making the tablets an alluring prospect for several esports events worldwide for everyone involved.