Dhruv Bhutani / Android Authority
For a long time, the best smartphone games were either filled with ads, indie ports, or old classics. However, Apple’s recent announcement that it was bringing AAA titles like Resident Evil Village and the next Assassin’s Creed to the iPhone 15 Pro and M1-powered iPads gave me some hope. I expected these games to be watered-down versions like Final Fantasy XV Pocket Edition, but after testing one on my iPhone 15 Pro Max, I was proven wrong.
Resident Evil Village is now available for the iPhone 15 Pro and M1/M2-powered iPads. I’ve played the demo version twice and can confirm that Apple’s claims were true. The iPhone version of Resident Evil Village is just like the console and PC version, and it’s amazing.
Would you pay $60 for a console game on your smartphone?
65 votes
Yes, if the experience is just as good.
28%
No, that’s too expensive.
62%
No, I prefer smaller mobile games.
11%
Optimized to Perfection
Let’s start with the basics. Capcom did an impressive job optimizing Resident Evil Village for the iPhone. The game is not just a simple port, but a lot of effort has been put into it. One notable thing is the file size. The iPhone version is about 13GB for the full game and 7GB for the demo, which is almost half the size of the PlayStation 5 version. This is important considering the limited storage capacity of phones.
But it doesn’t stop there. Capcom didn’t port the game from the lowest common platform like the PlayStation 4 or Xbox One. Instead, they took elements from the PlayStation 5 version. The ultra-quick load times and graphics quality resemble the PlayStation 4 Pro. It’s impressive, especially considering how well the game runs on my old PlayStation 4.
Resident Evil Village on the iPhone 15 Pro is a true console game on a smartphone. As a horror movie fan, I’m not typically into horror games, so I’ve only played the demo. But even in the demo, I could see the level of detail and realism that I’ve never seen before in a mobile game. The graphics, HDR support, lighting, and sound all contribute to creating a genuinely eerie experience.
The game supports variable refresh rates up to 120Hz, but I found that locking it at 30Hz with high graphics settings gave me a more consistent experience. There are occasional frame skips, but they don’t affect the gameplay significantly. It feels like I’m playing a cloud-streamed game, but it’s actually running directly on my phone.
Straight out of the box, Capcom has optimized the settings for battery life and heat management. However, you can customize the settings for even better graphics. You can adjust screen space reflections, volumetric and shadow lighting, and even bump up the resolution. Resident Evil Village pushes the iPhone 15 Pro’s 8GB of RAM to the limit, so if Apple wants to match Android’s RAM capacity, this would be a good reason.
Challenges of Bringing Console Games to Phones
Despite being a technical marvel, Resident Evil Village has one major issue – touchscreen controls. The on-screen controls are responsive, but they block the visual experience. The best way to play the game is with a gamepad paired with the iPhone. I used my PlayStation 5’s DualSense controller, and the game automatically mapped the controls. Playing with a controller enhances the immersion, despite the smaller screen of the iPhone 15 Pro Max.
The game looks stunning when connected to a monitor or television via USB-C. Capcom has even added options for display boundary adjustment and optimized audio for TV output. Playing the game on a larger screen feels like playing on a PlayStation 4.
Running a game like Resident Evil Village on a phone comes with challenges. It pushes the limits of the iPhone 15 Pro’s memory, drains battery life quickly, and causes the phone to overheat. The phone performed slightly better when connected to a monitor or played over USB-C, but playing outdoors on a hot day is not recommended.
Resident Evil Village on the iPhone 15 Pro is a strong start. Despite concerns about battery life and heat, it shows that smartphones are capable of providing full AAA experiences. If upcoming games like Death Stranding, Assassin’s Creed Mirage, and The Division Resurgence have the same level of polish, Apple’s mobile hardware will become a viable option for gamers on the go.
It won’t replace Steam, but it’s a step in the right direction.