AAA games on iPhone used to mean cut-down spin-offs. Now the App Store sells the real thing: Capcom’s Resident Evil 4 remake, Hideo Kojima’s Death Stranding, Rockstar’s Red Dead Redemption and IO Interactive’s Hitman trilogy all run natively on the phone, with the same campaigns you would play on a console.
The catch is hardware. Most of these ports need an iPhone 15 Pro or newer, and many are free to download but charge for the full game once you are inside. The ten below are ranked on how complete each port is and what it costs to own, using US App Store prices in September 2026.
Price and iPhone Requirements for All 10
The price column shows what it costs to own the whole game. The requirement column is the oldest chip or iOS version the App Store listing accepts.
| # | Game | What you pay | Minimum requirement | Pick it for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Resident Evil 4 | Free to try, $59.99 for the game | A17 Pro chip | The most complete port |
| 2 | Red Dead Redemption | $39.99 or included with Netflix | iOS 18 | Non-Pro and older iPhones |
| 3 | Death Stranding Director’s Cut | $39.99 | A17 Pro chip | A long story game |
| 4 | HITMAN World of Assassination | Free to start, $29.99 or $69.99 | A17 Pro chip, iOS 18 | Replay value |
| 5 | Assassin’s Creed Mirage | Free to try, $29.99 for the game | A17 Pro chip, iOS 17.4 | Parkour and stealth |
| 6 | Resident Evil Village | Free to try, $39.99 for the game | A17 Pro chip | Horror on less storage |
| 7 | Control Ultimate Edition | $4.99 | A17 Pro chip, iOS 26.1 | Tight budgets |
| 8 | Tomb Raider | $19.99 | A12 Bionic chip, iOS 18 | Action without a Pro |
| 9 | Civilization VII | Apple Arcade ($6.99 a month) | A17 Pro chip, iOS 18 | Turn-based strategy |
| 10 | Alien: Isolation | Free to try, $14.99 for the game | iOS 16.5 | The oldest iPhones |
1. Resident Evil 4: The Most Complete Port
Resident Evil 4 is the 2023 remake, not the 2005 original, and the iPhone version keeps the whole campaign. Leon S. Kennedy heads to a remote European village to rescue the president’s kidnapped daughter, and the reimagined story, upgraded combat and detailed visuals all come across from the console release.
You can download it for free and play the opening before paying $59.99 for the Base Game, with the Separate Ways expansion another $9.99. Capcom lists the full install at roughly 30GB and says a controller gives the better experience, and it needs an A17 Pro chip or later.
What it does well
- The full remake, not a mobile edition.
- Free opening to test your iPhone first.
- Separate Ways sold as a $9.99 add-on.
What to know before buying
- $59.99 is the priciest unlock in this guide.
- Roughly 30GB installed.
- A17 Pro chip or later only.
2. Red Dead Redemption: Best If Your iPhone Is Older
Rockstar released Red Dead Redemption on iPhone on December 2, 2025, and it arrived with the Undead Nightmare expansion and the extra content from the Game of the Year Edition. You play John Marston, a former outlaw forced to hunt the men he once rode with across the American West and Mexico, in the complete single-player game.
There are two versions. Rockstar sells one for $39.99, and as the Rockstar’s launch post explains, Netflix subscribers can download a Netflix edition at no extra cost. The Rockstar listing only asks for iOS 18 and Netflix supports iPhones from the iPhone 11 on, so this is the one to buy if you do not own a Pro model.
What it does well
- Undead Nightmare included at no extra cost.
- Works on far more iPhones than most games here.
- Included with a Netflix subscription.
What to know before buying
- Single-player only, with no online mode.
- It is the first game, not Red Dead Redemption 2.
3. Death Stranding Director’s Cut: A Slow-Burn Epic
Death Stranding, from Metal Gear creator Hideo Kojima, is a game about delivering cargo across a broken America as Sam Bridges, and it is stranger and slower than anything else here. The iPhone version is the Director’s Cut, adding a high frame rate mode, photo mode and crossover content from Half-Life and Cyberpunk 2077.
It costs $39.99 upfront and there is no trial. 505 Games says the first 13GB gets you playing, but more data downloads as you go, reaching about 50GB, and the game requires iCloud Drive to be turned on.
What it does well
- Director’s Cut content and crossover items.
- High frame rate mode for smoother play.
- Other players’ structures appear through the Social Strand System.
What to know before buying
- Plan for about 50GB of downloads.
- No free section before buying.
- A17 Pro chip or later only.
4. HITMAN World of Assassination: 100 Hours of Contracts
World of Assassination gathers IO Interactive’s modern Hitman locations into one game, and it came to iPhone on August 27, 2025. IOI says it holds more than 100 hours of content, from a Paris palace to a coastal Italian town, and each mission is built to be replayed with different disguises and methods.
Starting is free, with the tutorial missions and a Dubai escalation included. After that you can pay $29.99 for Part One’s six locations or $69.99 for the Full Game, which adds every location and the Freelancer roguelike mode. The full app is about 48GB and IOI wants double that free during installation; it supports controllers but not mouse and keyboard.
What it does well
- Over 100 hours of play according to IOI.
- Free missions before you commit.
- Freelancer mode for long-term play.
What to know before buying
- $69.99 for the complete package.
- About 48GB, plus twice that free to install.
- iOS 18 and an A17 Pro chip required.
5. Assassin’s Creed Mirage: Rooftops of Baghdad
Mirage takes Assassin’s Creed back to stealth and parkour, following Basim from street thief to Hidden One in ninth-century Baghdad. Ubisoft released the full game on iPhone on June 6, 2024, eight months after its console launch.
You can play the start for free, then the Full Game Upgrade is $29.99, the cheapest unlock of the big open-world games here. It needs an A17 Pro chip and iOS 17.4 or later.
What it does well
- $29.99 for the whole game.
- Free opening to try the controls.
- Stealth-first design suits shorter sessions.
What to know before buying
- Only the opening is free.
- A17 Pro chip and iOS 17.4 required.
6. Resident Evil Village: Smaller Install, Same Scares
Resident Evil Village landed on iPhone on October 30, 2023, the first of Capcom’s recent run of Resident Evil ports. It is a first-person horror game and, in Capcom’s words, the eighth major installment in the series, following Ethan Winters into a snowbound village to find his kidnapped daughter.
The opening is free, the Base Game costs $39.99 and a DLC pack is $19.99. At about 16GB installed it needs roughly half the space of Resident Evil 4, and Capcom again recommends a controller.
What it does well
- $20 less to unlock than Resident Evil 4.
- About 16GB installed.
- Free opening section.
What to know before buying
- First-person aiming on touch takes practice.
- A17 Pro chip or later only.
7. Control Ultimate Edition: Full Game for $4.99
Control is Remedy’s action game about Jesse Faden, a new director of the Federal Bureau of Control fighting a hostile force inside a shape-shifting government building with telekinetic powers. The Ultimate Edition bundles both expansions, The Foundation and AWE, and Remedy adapted the aiming, puzzles and menus for touch.
It costs $4.99, a fraction of anything else here, and one purchase covers iPhone, iPad and Mac. It needs iOS 26.1 and an A17 Pro chip, and Remedy reserves ray tracing for devices with an M3 chip or later, or an A19 Pro with 10GB of memory.
What it does well
- Base game and both expansions.
- The lowest price in this guide.
- Universal purchase across iPhone, iPad and Mac.
What to know before buying
- Requires iOS 26.1.
- Ray tracing only on the newest devices.
8. Tomb Raider: Lara’s Origin Story, No Pro Required
This is the 2013 Tomb Raider reboot, ported by Feral Interactive and released on iPhone in February 2026. A 21-year-old Lara Croft is shipwrecked on Yamatai and has to fight her way off the island, and Feral says the port is the complete game, Challenge Tombs and all.
It is $19.99 with no trial and runs on any iPhone with an A12 Bionic chip and iOS 18, from the iPhone XS and XR onward. You can play with touch, a gamepad or a mouse and keyboard, and Feral wants 11GB free, ideally double that for installation.
What it does well
- No Pro iPhone needed.
- Complete game with Challenge Tombs.
- Mouse and keyboard supported.
What to know before buying
- No trial before the $19.99 purchase.
- Visuals date from 2013.
9. Civilization VII: Strategy Through Apple Arcade
Civilization VII, Firaxis’s 2025 strategy game, runs on iPhone as part of Apple Arcade, and 2K calls it the authentic base game. Each campaign moves through ages of history, and you choose a new civilization for your empire as each age begins.
Instead of a price tag, it is included with Apple Arcade, which costs $6.99 a month and also unlocks the Mac and iPad versions. It needs iOS 18 and an A17 Pro chip, and works with touch, a mouse or a controller.
What it does well
- The real Civilization VII base game.
- No ads or in-app purchases.
- Mouse and controller support.
What to know before buying
- You lose access if the subscription lapses.
- No expansions, only the base game.
10. Alien: Isolation: The Widest Compatibility
Alien: Isolation is Creative Assembly’s 2014 horror game, set 15 years after the first Alien film, with Amanda Ripley hunted through the Sevastopol space station by a creature you cannot kill. Feral released the iPhone version in December 2021.
Missions 1 and 2 are free, and $14.99 unlocks missions 3 to 19 along with every DLC pack. It needs only iOS 16.5, which Feral says reaches back to the iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X, but plan for 11GB of storage and 22GB free during installation.
What it does well
- Runs on the oldest iPhones of any game here.
- All DLC included in the $14.99 unlock.
- Two missions free.
What to know before buying
- Older visuals than the newer ports.
- 22GB free needed to install.
iPhone Models That Run These Games
Seven games on this list require the A17 Pro chip or something newer. According to their App Store listings, that includes the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max, all iPhone 16 and 17 models including the 16e and 17e, the iPhone Air, and the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max.
The regular iPhone 15 and 15 Plus miss out because they use the A16 Bionic. If that is your phone, the list shrinks to three: Red Dead Redemption, Tomb Raider and Alien: Isolation.
- Needs A17 Pro or newer: Resident Evil 4, Resident Evil Village, Death Stranding Director’s Cut, HITMAN World of Assassination, Assassin’s Creed Mirage, Control Ultimate Edition, Civilization VII.
- Needs iOS 18: Red Dead Redemption, and Tomb Raider with an A12 Bionic chip or newer.
- Needs iOS 16.5: Alien: Isolation.
How Pricing Works: Unlocks, Upfront and Subscriptions
Many of these games show Free on the App Store, but that only covers a trial. The complete game is an in-app purchase, and it is often the most expensive item in the list of purchases.
- Free to try, then unlock: Resident Evil 4 ($59.99), Resident Evil Village ($39.99), Assassin’s Creed Mirage ($29.99), Hitman ($29.99 or $69.99), Alien: Isolation ($14.99).
- Buy upfront: Red Dead Redemption and Death Stranding Director’s Cut ($39.99 each), Tomb Raider ($19.99), Control Ultimate Edition ($4.99).
- Included with a subscription: Civilization VII with Apple Arcade, Red Dead Redemption with Netflix.
Play the free section before you buy. It is the easiest way to see how a port handles on your exact phone, and publishers discount these games in App Store sales often enough that waiting can save money.
Install Sizes and Controller Support
Do not trust the download size on the listing. Resident Evil 4 shows less than 1GB on the App Store, but Capcom says the game takes about 30GB once it has finished downloading inside the app.
- Death Stranding Director’s Cut: 13GB to start, about 50GB in the end.
- HITMAN World of Assassination: about 48GB, plus the same again free during install.
- Resident Evil 4: about 30GB.
- Resident Evil Village: about 16GB.
- Tomb Raider and Alien: Isolation: 11GB each, with roughly 22GB free recommended.
All ten have touch controls, but a controller helps most of them, and Capcom recommends one outright. Apple’s support page on connecting a wireless game controller walks through pairing Xbox and PlayStation pads. For the same games on a TV, our guide to the best gaming consoles compares current hardware.
Other AAA Ports Worth Knowing
Seven more console and PC games on the US App Store, each a full release rather than a mobile edition.
- Resident Evil 2: $39.99 to unlock the base game, A17 Pro or later
- Resident Evil 3: $29.99 to unlock the base game, A17 Pro or later
- Resident Evil 7 biohazard: $19.99 to unlock the base game, A17 Pro or later
- Sniper Elite 4: $19.99 for the main campaign or $24.99 for the Complete Edition, A17 Pro or later
- Hitman: Absolution: $14.99, runs on an A12 Bionic iPhone with iOS 18
- GRID Legends: Deluxe Edition: $14.99, needs iOS 17
- Tomb Raider I-III Remastered: free to try, $29.99 to unlock, needs iOS 26.2
Where to Start With AAA Games on iPhone
If you own an iPhone 15 Pro or newer, Resident Evil 4 is the first download to make. It is part of one of the best-selling video game franchises ever, and its free opening shows whether a full console game suits your phone before you pay $59.99. For something other than horror, start Hitman’s free missions or spend $4.99 on Control.
With an older or non-Pro iPhone, go straight to Red Dead Redemption, especially if you already have Netflix. Tomb Raider and Alien: Isolation are the next best options and run on iPhones several years old.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which AAA games can you play on iPhone?
The biggest are Resident Evil 4, Resident Evil Village, Resident Evil 2, 3 and 7, Death Stranding Director’s Cut, Assassin’s Creed Mirage, HITMAN World of Assassination, Red Dead Redemption, Control Ultimate Edition, Tomb Raider, Alien: Isolation and Sniper Elite 4, plus Civilization VII on Apple Arcade.
Do AAA games work on the iPhone 15?
Only partly. The iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max run all of them, but the standard iPhone 15 and 15 Plus have the A16 Bionic chip, which rules out the A17 Pro games. Red Dead Redemption, Tomb Raider, Alien: Isolation, GRID Legends and Hitman: Absolution still work.
Do you have to pay for AAA games on iPhone?
Usually, yes, for the full game. Several offer a free opening, Netflix members get Red Dead Redemption included, and Civilization VII comes with Apple Arcade, but unlocking a complete game costs between $4.99 for Control and $69.99 for Hitman.
Do iPhone AAA games support controllers?
Yes. You can pair Xbox, PlayStation and other Bluetooth controllers with an iPhone, and Capcom recommends one for Resident Evil. Hitman supports controllers but not mouse and keyboard, and Tomb Raider works with touch, a gamepad, or a mouse and keyboard.
Related Articles
Get the Fox Bulletin briefing
The stories that matter, in your inbox. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Newsletter signup will be available soon.
Related stories
Cheapest Way to Buy UC in PUBG Mobile: 5 Top-Up Sites Compared
Five PUBG Mobile top-up sites compared on price per UC, bonus UC and payment, plus how to spot a UC scam.
Fortnite Sprites List: Abilities, Variants and Where to Find Them
The full Fortnite Sprites list for Chapter 7 Season 4, with every ability, the variants, and how Sprite Dust and Mastery work.
Fortnite Admin Panel Codes (September 2026)
All the Fortnite admin panel codes that still work, plus how to enter a Lobby Hack from the lobby and what to check when one fails.