Resident Evil 7 iOS Is the Latest AAA Port to Flop, with Less than 2000 Purchases

Capcom’s fantastic survival horror sequel Resident Evil 7, released in 2017, was a massive hit on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC. After its success, Resident Evil 7 expanded to Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5 and Xbox X/S series in 2022, with the game selling over 13 million units at the end of 2023 and nominated for several end-of-year accolades.

However, when Resident Evil 7 was released on iOS, iPad, and iMac earlier this month, the famous survival game struggled to break even on the App Store. According to Mobile Gamer’s research statistics, the game has sold less than 2000 units with an estimated gross of $28,140, excluding Apple’s cut of the profits.

It comes as little surprise as AAA games and the Resident Evil series itself have not held a successful track record on iOS, with graphic-demanding and movement-heavy games such as Assassin’s Creed Mirage, Resident Evil Village and the Resident Evil 4 remake failing to hit the mark on the platform.

Related: Resident Evil 9 Confirmed in Development, Expected to Release in 2025

Resident Evil 7 iOS Falls Short of Expectation

Despite the sales falling well short of expectations, Resident Evil 7’s reception on iOS is hugely positive, with players even commending Capcom for a triumphant port, stating that the game functions well on iPhone 15 models. According to most players’ testimony, the game runs at 60fps on iPhone Pro Max while maintaining smoothness in prioritised performance graphics mode. Although, there were some reviews criticising the game’s small subtitles.

Welcome to the family, son!

Resident Evil 7 biohazard joins Apple’s family on July 2nd, coming to iPhone 15 Pro models and every iPad and Mac with the M1 chip or later!

Resident Evil 2 is also in development for iPhone, iPad, and Mac. pic.twitter.com/bjSi7svSBS

— Resident Evil (@RE_Games) June 10, 2024

Nevertheless, the underlying question remains: Why did Resident Evil 7 only sell less than 2000 copies on iOS since July 2? For starters, the audience for non-free-to-free games on iOS is niche as most trending games, such as Genshin Impact and Zenless Zone Zero, do not require the fans to purchase the full game to enjoy.

Secondly, the most probable option for Resident Evil 7’s failure on iOS is that the already niche audience considers the port a downgrade from the high-tech console like the PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X/S. Thus, even if the game is impressive and spectacular, players may feel underwhelmed when already experiencing the game on higher-end platforms.

Why AAA Games on iOS Struggle to Replicate Traditional Platforms Success?

As highlighted above, the mobile gaming market is saturated with indie and casual games, which are comprised mostly of free-to-play models, meaning adapting AAA games to fit mobile monetisation strategies, such as in-app purchases and microtransactions, can be challenging and may alienate traditional gamers.

In addition, the mobile market sees a high volume of game releases, making it difficult for AAA titles to maintain visibility and sustained player interest. For example, gacha games such as Wuthering Waves and Zenless Zone Zero has been the hype of 2024. It is without mentioning Genshin and Star rail drawing $50 million at least each month.

Furthermore, many mobile gamers engage in short, casual gaming sessions, which other genres are specifically designed for quick, on-the-go play. AAA games, on the other hand, often require significant time investment and attention, meaning it may sway from typical platformers habits.

Lastly, besides the niche market, hardware limitations often affects AAA games performance on iOS, as the games demand significant processing power and graphical capabilities, which may struggle to run smoothly on many older mobile hardwares. High-performance games can also drain battery life quickly, making long play sessions impractical on mobile devices.

Parting Notes

While Resident Evil 7 port on iOS is struggling to meet sales expectations, it is still early, as it has been only two weeks since its release on the platform. For context, 2023’s Resident Evil 4 remake sold around 7,000, while Resident Evil Village sold around 5,700 units.

Obviously, the number is not that amazing. Still, it hasn’t stopped Capcom from implement more Resident Evil series on iOS, as the company has confirmed plans to bring the 2019 Resident Evil 2 remake to iOS devices soon.

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