According to data gathered by Appfigures, AAA titles for iPhones and iPads aren’t as big of a success as Apple may have hoped for. Currently, Resident Evil Village and Assassin’s Creed Mirage are available for iOS and iPadOS as these games were used to promote the iPhone 15 Pro series’ hardware prowess.
But the data doesn’t show promising results. In fact, Appfigures argues that these titles are actually a flop. For instance, Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed Mirage has more than 123,000 downloads since its release on June 6, but less than 3,000 users paid for the full game, costing $49. And daily downloads have already dipped under 3,000 on average. These figures are considerably lower than other free-to-play iOS and iPadOS games.
Resident Evil 4, which launched in December last year for iOS, is struggling too. Only 357,000 people have downloaded the game and 7,000 have paid $29 for the full experience. Resident Evil Village has only 5,750 paying users.
Analysts believe people prefer simpler and more casual games on their phones and tablets. One of the most popular mobile games are usually the ones prioritizing unique art style over fancy graphics and simpler gameplay suitable for touch controls. Triple A titles require physical controls for the best possible experience, as well as big screens. And let’s face it, even the iPhone 15 Pro Max has a tiny screen for serious AAA gaming.
There are other contributing factors, of course. For instance, only the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max support AAA titles and iPads with at least M1 chips and above allow console-like games to run. This limits the number of users who can enjoy these games.
Nevertheless, some believe that Apple paid the game studios just so the company could promote their powerful hardware.
If you are wondering whether it’s worth paying for the Assassin’s Creed Mirage, for example, read our full review and decide for yourself.