A few years ago, the very idea of running modern AAA console hits on a smartphone seemed like a fantasy. However, the author of the popular YouTube channel MrMacRight demonstrated in practice that the future has already arrived. His new test of the iPhone 17 Pro Max with the A19 Pro processor proves that Apple has made another significant step in turning its devices into serious gaming platforms.
The most demanding titles available on iOS, such as Resident Evil 4 Remake, Assassin’s Creed Mirage and Death Stranding, were tested. The blogger tested performance in various graphics presets, with and without MetalFX upscaling enabled, allowing the smartphone to automatically adjust resolution for the best balance between picture quality and smoothness.
Results: impressive progress
The results clearly show a noticeable jump in performance over last year’s leader, the iPhone 16 Pro Max. Here are the key highlights:
- Stable gameplay in demanding projects: In Resident Evil 2 Remake, the iPhone easily supports 45 fps at 2340×1080 resolution in “Performance” mode, and with MetalFX upscaling in quality reaches a stable 59 fps. Resident Evil Village demonstrates similar performance.
- High resolution: Games like Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, Sniper Elite 4 and Subnautica run at a rare 2868×1320 pixel resolution for a smartphone, with near-perfect smoothness at 59fps.
- Tacklingthe toughest challenges: The most demanding titles, such as Assassin’s Creed Mirage or Death Stranding, push the system to the limit. Mirage consistently delivers 30 fps at high settings, while Death Stranding can only reach this mark with MetalFX. This emphasizes that even the power of A19 Pro is sometimes not enough to comfortably play the latest hits at ultra settings, but the fact that they run on a mobile device is already impressive.
MetalFX is the key to success
It is important to note the key role of MetalFX upscaling technology, analogous to NVIDIA DLSS or AMD FSR. In many cases, it allows you to raise the frame rate to a comfortable level, compensating for the lack of native performance. For example, in Resident Evil 4 Remake the “60 fps” mode without upscaling produces 45 fps, which is not bad, but not an ideal result.
According to Mr. MacRight, the main challenge for the iOS platform now is not the power of “hardware”, but the library of games. The power of iPhone 17 Pro Max would be enough to port such hits as Cyberpunk 2077 or “The Witcher”, but their absence limits the potential of the device. The gaming industry is just beginning to discover the possibilities of mobile hardware of this level.
