AAA gaming on the iPhone, iPad is a flop –report

Apple’s push to transform iPhones and iPads into AAA gaming powerhouses seems to be hitting a brick wall. Despite high-profile AAA titles (like Assassin’s Creed Mirage and Resident Evil Village) being ported to iOS and iPadOS, new data paints a lack of user interest as well as disappointing sales figures.

These marquee games, while available, haven’t exactly resonated with the Apple‘s user base.

Image/ Appfigures

Appfigures, an analytics firm, reports (via MobileGamer) that Assassin’s Creed Mirage, which launched in June, racked up an estimated 123,000 downloads for its free 90-minute trial. However, only a measly 3,000 users coughed up the hefty USD 49.99PHP 2,934INR 4,237EUR 48CNY 364 price tag for the full experience.

It’s not an isolated incident. Other big titles are experiencing similar woes. Resident Evil 4, chilling on iOS since December 2023, has accumulated over 357,000 downloads, but a mere 7,000 players opted to unlock the full game for USD 29.99PHP 1,760INR 2,542EUR 29CNY 218. Resident Evil Village follows a similar trajectory, with just 5,750 users shelling out USD 15.99PHP 938INR 1,355EUR 15CNY 116.

Death Stranding? Well, Appfigures doesn’t even track downloads for the game, suggesting minimal traction. However, they estimate it’s scraped together a meager USD 212,000PHP 12,441,326INR 17,966,958EUR 201,888CNY 1,543,000 in revenue.

Why are AAA games not doing well on iOS?

So, what’s dooming these AAA titles to mobile space? A few culprits come to mind. First, they require the latest, top-of-the-line iPhones and iPads, significantly limiting their player base. Such games only run on iPhone 15 Pro/ Pro Max and high-end iPads.

Second, mobile gamers, often drawn to casual, budget-friendly experiences, might have already played these titles on consoles. Finally, let’s not forget the elephant in the room: clunky touch controls just don’t translate well to the intricacies of AAA gaming.

“Looking at the top-performing mobile premium games, we can see that many are originally indie titles,” Appmagic (another data firm) head of content Andrei Zubov said.

“What’s equally important is that premium indie games on mobile are usually priced at USD 5PHP 293INR 424EUR 5CNY 36 – 10. This price range aligns better with the average spending habits of mobile gamers,” Zubov further said.

“This likely explains why these games find it easier to expand into the mobile gaming market and why AAA releases are underperforming.”