By Sagar V. Mankar 
Capcom‘s recent endeavor to bring its acclaimed title, Resident Evil 2, to iOS devices has encountered significant challenges in terms of revenue generation. According to data from Appmagic, as reported by Mobilegamer.biz, the game has amassed just over $100,000 in in-app purchase (IAP) earnings since its launch on December 10, 2024.
Initially, Resident Evil 2 was offered as a ‘free-to-start’ game, providing players with a brief demo before requiring payment to unlock the full content. From its release until January 8, 2025, the full game unlock was available at a discounted price of $10, resulting in approximately $95,000 in revenue. This indicates that around 9,500 players purchased the IAP during this promotional period. However, after the price reverted to the standard $40 on January 9, earnings saw a notable decline, with only about $7,000 generated, suggesting that roughly 175 players made the purchase at the higher price point.
Broader Struggles for AAA Mobile Ports
This trend is not isolated to Resident Evil 2. Other high-profile titles have faced similar outcomes on the iOS platform. For instance, Assassin’s Creed Mirage, despite being prominently featured by Apple, has garnered approximately $496,000 in lifetime revenue since its launch in June 2024. With a full game unlock priced at $50, this translates to about 9,920 paying customers.
Similarly, Resident Evil 4, released in December 2023, has achieved lifetime earnings of approximately $530,000, with the base game priced at $60. This suggests that around 8,833 players have purchased the game over the course of more than a year.
Death Stranding Leads the Pack
Among recent triple-A mobile ports, Death Stranding has been the most successful, earning $581,000 since its release. With an upfront cost of $40, approximately 14,525 players have purchased the game. Despite this modest success, the overall numbers highlight the struggle of premium-priced mobile games to find a sustainable audience.
The Case for Free-to-Play and Subscriptions
The underwhelming performance of these titles raises questions about the viability of porting triple-A console games to mobile platforms, especially when considering factors such as high pricing and the limited number of iOS devices capable of running these graphically intensive games. Despite Apple’s efforts to showcase the capabilities of its hardware by featuring these games in keynotes and on the App Store, the consumer response indicates a reluctance to invest in premium-priced mobile games.
In contrast, mobile games that adopt a free-to-play model or are available through subscription services like Apple Arcade tend to perform better in the market. This suggests that mobile gamers may prefer more accessible pricing structures, aligning with the prevailing trends in mobile gaming consumption.
These insights highlight the challenges faced by developers and publishers in adapting traditional console gaming experiences to the mobile platform, emphasizing the need for strategies that resonate with the preferences and expectations of the mobile gaming audience.