Tomb Raider iOS testing shows Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max holds 60 FPS for 30 minutes; here’s how it runs on the 7-year-old iPhone XS
Mobile gaming on Apple devices has gained noticeable traction in recent months, with several major PC and console titles arriving on iOS and iPadOS. Rockstar’s Red Dead Redemption was among the recent high-profile releases adapted for iPhones and iPads, followed by the open-world title Where Winds Meet, which launched across iPhone, iPad and select Android flagship devices.
Now, another legacy franchise is making the transition, with Tomb Raider scheduled to launch on Apple devices on February 12, 2026, marking the latest example of AAA gaming experiences expanding to mobile platforms. Popular YouTuber MrMacRight, who has previously tested AAA games on iPhones and iPads, has shared an early look at how Tomb Raider performs on these devices.
According to the creator in the video, The iOS and iPadOS version of Tomb Raider includes multiple graphical presets and post-processing options. Battery Saver mode caps performance at 30 FPS, while the Graphics preset targets 30 FPS, reaching 40 FPS on select A12X, A12Z, M1 and M2 iPad Pro models and 60 FPS on M4 and M5 variants. Performance mode targets 60 FPS on iPhone 11 and newer devices, with M4 and M5 iPad Pro models capable of up to 120 FPS. The port also includes a built-in benchmark tool and does not use dynamic resolution scaling, with Feral Interactive citing CPU-related performance limitations.
According to YouTuber MrMacRight, Tomb Raider runs in Performance mode at a reduced internal resolution of 2151 × 990 on the iPhone 17 Pro Max and 1482 × 683 on the iPhone 15 Pro while targeting 60 FPS. The creator reports that the iPhone 17 Pro Max maintains stable 60 FPS during extended gameplay sessions without noticeable throttling, while the iPhone 15 Pro shows occasional frame rate dips in more demanding scenes after thermal buildup.
MrMacRight notes that in Performance mode, Tomb Raider runs at a reduced internal resolution of 2151 × 990 on the iPhone 17 Pro Max and 1482 × 683 on the iPhone 15 Pro while targeting 60 FPS. The creator reports that the iPhone 17 Pro Max did not throttle during a roughly 30-minute session and stayed in a “nominal” thermal state, while the iPhone 15 Pro reached a “fair” thermal state at around 15 minutes, followed by occasional dips in more demanding scenes, and later escalated to a “serious” thermal state.
They also add that the iPhone 12 Pro can still reach 60 FPS in lighter scenes but heats up much faster and shows more frequent performance drops, noting that the device reported a “serious” thermal state almost immediately after loading the game. In Graphics mode, the creator says the iPhone 17 Pro Max targets native resolution at a locked 30 FPS and reports that the game uses around 1.5 GB of RAM in this mode. The creator further attributes the absence of a 120 FPS option on these iPhones to frame-time limitations, noting that sustaining 120 FPS would require frame times of roughly 8 ms or lower, which was not observed at these settings, and adds that pushing higher frame rates would likely increase throttling.
Performance on older iPhones such as the iPhone XS, which Apple considers vintage, shows that Tomb Raider is limited to Graphics and Battery Saver presets on the device, with no Performance mode available. The creator states that in Graphics mode, the game runs at a resolution of 1632 × 753 while maintaining a largely stable 30 FPS during most gameplay, with occasional frame drops in select scenes. They also note that peak memory usage remains below 1 GB despite the device having 4 GB of RAM, indicating stable performance on the A12 chipset.
Meanwhile, on the 11-inch M4 iPad Pro, MrMacRight reports that Tomb Raider runs in Performance mode at an internal resolution of 1621 × 1117 while supporting frame rates of up to 120 FPS. The creator states that the device maintains stable 120 FPS during extended gameplay sessions and benchmark tests without noticeable throttling.
They also note that older M-series iPad Pro models, including the M1 variant, typically target 60 FPS in Performance mode, with an optional Performance Plus preset that lowers resolution further to improve frame rates. In Graphics mode, the creator states that M4 and M5 iPad Pro models run the game at native resolution targeting 60 FPS, while older iPad Pro models operate at 40 FPS, with performance reportedly remaining stable even during visually demanding scenes.
The YouTuber also compares Tomb Raider's performance on iOS with its performance on Mac, PS3, PS4 and Switch 2, and tests how the game runs on the M3 iPad Air. You can watch the full video linked below for an in-depth look at the game's mobile performance.
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