The smartphone versus Nintendo Switch 2 argument isn’t a one-on-one matchup, especially when it comes to iPhone. Overall, the iPhone is more powerful in terms of what you can do with it. However, let’s be a little more reasonable and compare them when it comes to games. This comparison is easier than ever to make, with Apple’s App Store getting some titles that are either going to be released or have been released on Switch 2. A major example is “Red Dead Redemption,” launching on iPhone and Switch 2 in late 2025.
Comparing the two devices reveals that the iPhone still lags behind the Nintendo handheld in terms of graphical fidelity. In online tests and comparisons you can see that details are reduced on the iPhone. For example, Digital Foundry believes that the game may not take full advantage of the A19 Pro chip it contains. On Switch 2, it uses Nvidia’s upscaling technology, DLSS, to increase the resolution from 540p to 1080p at 60 FPS for a smoother gaming experience. The Switch 2’s image also looks much sharper.
“Resident Evil 7,” launching on Switch 2 in February 2026 and on iOS in 2024, is another prominent example of loss of graphical fidelity. Once again, in comparison tests, the Switch 2 version outperforms the native iPhone edition, even with three generations of phones since its debut. Even on the latest iPads the game runs and looks worse than on the Switch 2.
The iPhone lacks graphics fidelity
For some games, the lack of updates has left them languishing. Capcom has made no real attempt to update its games released on the platform since their debut, perhaps only targeting it on 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 game’s poor sales, which reportedly hovered around 2,000 units at launch, prevented Capcom from improving the games.
“Resident Evil Village,” the sequel to “Resident Evil 7,” has similar issues, as it is intended to run on an iPhone 15 Pro. The game still feels mushy and lower quality than its Switch 2 counterpart, with no improvements on phone generations including the 17 Pro Max. It also tends to crash and does not use all available RAM on the device when exposing the MetalFX overlay (Apple’s graphics software stack). While not available on Switch 2, this lack of updating to take advantage of the phones’ newer hardware is highlighted with the iOS version of “Assassin’s Creed: Mirage,” capped at 30 FPS. However, overlaying MetalFX reveals that it uses more RAM than Capcom’s fare.
Not every game needs to be ported to iPhone or Switch 2
Other games released on both systems, demonstrating the power of the Switch 2, include “Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition.” The reboot (which is now a prequel) runs great on the iPhone 17 Pro with the A19 Pro chip, reaching 60 FPS. Switching to a more graphically efficient mode reduces this to 30 FPS. However, on Switch 2, the game is locked to 1080p at 60 FPS, producing a much sharper image overall compared to the iOS version, which uses a 904p resolution when running in 60 FPS performance mode.
The iPhone is great for gaming, but it needs to be mobile or at least mobile-centric to be shown in its best light. Apple Arcade offers a curated, ad-free selection of games for a subscription fee, but the rest of the store can be a little irritating to navigate. As with the original Switch and now the Switch 2, sometimes the ports coming out the other side just aren’t right for the platform. If Capcom’s “Pragmata,” for example, runs at a base resolution of 360p and then is upscaled to the output resolution on the Switch 2, it would be really interesting to see how it would perform on iPhone.
