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The smartphone vs. Nintendo Switch 2 argument isn’t something that’s a one-to-one fit, especially when it comes to iPhones. Overall, the iPhone is more powerful in terms of options of what you can do with it. However, let’s be a little more sensible and compare them when it comes to gaming. This comparison is easier to make then ever, with the Apple App Store getting some titles that are either going to be released or have been released on Switch 2. One major example is “Red Dead Redemption,” which launched on iPhones and Switch 2 at the tail end of 2025.
Comparing the two devices reveals that the iPhone still lags behind the Nintendo handheld when it comes down to graphical fidelity. In online tests and comparisons, you can see the details being reduced on the iPhone. For example, Digital Foundry posits the game might not be taking full advantage of the A19 Pro chip inside. On Switch 2, it uses Nvidia’s upscaling tech, DLSS, to boost the resolution from 540p to 1080p at 60 FPS for a smoother gameplay experience. The Switch 2 image also looks far crisper.
“Resident Evil 7,” which launched on Switch 2 in February 2026 and on iOS in 2024, is another highlighted example of graphical fidelity being lost. Again, in comparison tests, the Switch 2 version bests the iPhone native edition, even with three generations of phones since it made its debut. Even on the latest iPads, the game performs and looks worse than it does on the Switch 2.
The iPhone is lacking in graphical fidelity
For some games, a lack of updates has left them to languish. Capcom has made no real attempt to update its games released on the platform since their debut, with it possibly stuck targeting older hardware. For example, “Resident Evil 7” hasn’t seen a real update since August 2025, and that was a nondescript minor bug fix. It’s possible that the lackluster sales of the game, reportedly circling around 2,000 units at launch, have pushed Capcom away from improving the games.
“Resident Evil Village,” the sequel to “Resident Evil 7,” features similar issues, with it intended to run on an iPhone 15 Pro. The game still looks mushy and lower quality than its Switch 2 counterpart, with no improvements across generations of phones, including the 17 Pro Max. It also tends to crash and isn’t utilizing the full RAM available from the device when exposing the MetalFX overlay (Apple’s graphics software stack). While not available on Switch 2, this lack of update to take advantage of the newer hardware in phones is highlighted with the iOS version of “Assassin’s Creed: Mirage,” which is capped at 30 FPS. However, MetalFX’s overlay does reveal that it uses more RAM than Capcom’s fare.
Not every game needs to be ported to the iPhone or Switch 2
Other games that have been released on both systems, showing off the power of the Switch 2, include “Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition.” The reboot (that is now a prequel) runs really well on the iPhone 17 Pro with the A19 Pro chip, reaching 60 FPS. Switching it over to a more graphically performant mode cuts that to 30 FPS. However, on Switch 2, the game is locked to 1080p at 60 FPS, producing a far sharper image overall compared to the iOS version, which is using a resolution of 904p when running in the 60 FPS performance mode.
The iPhone is great for gaming, but it has to be mobile or at least mobile-centric for it to be shown off at its best. Apple Arcade provides a curated, ad-free selection of games for a subscription fee, but the rest of the store can be a trifle irritating to dig through. As with the original Switch and now the Switch 2, sometimes the ports coming out the other side just aren’t suited for the platform. If Capcom’s “Pragmata,” for instance, runs at a baseline 360p and then is upscaled to the output resolution on the Switch 2, it’d be really interesting to see how it’d run on iPhone.
