Feature: iPhone vs Switch 2: Can the 17 Pro Deliver a Similar Handheld Experience to Nintendo’s Latest Hybrid Console?
Digital Foundry has conducted a performance comparison between Apple’s iPhone 17 Pro and Nintendo’s Switch 2 to determine whether Apple’s flagship mobile device can deliver a comparable handheld gaming experience to Nintendo’s latest hybrid console. The testing builds on prior investigations showing that newer iPhone generations typically exceed the graphical capabilities of the original Switch.
To evaluate the two devices, Digital Foundry subjected both platforms to a rigorous testing regimen using four demanding titles: Grid Legends, Resident Evil 7, Tomb Raider, and Red Dead Redemption. These games were selected to represent the types of graphically intensive experiences that showcase each device’s processing power and rendering capabilities.
The feature explores how Apple’s mobile hardware, traditionally recognized for its gaming performance despite not being purpose-built for gaming, stacks up against Nintendo’s custom-designed Switch 2 architecture. The comparison is particularly relevant as the Switch 2 represents Nintendo’s latest push into the hybrid gaming market, combining portability with home console-quality visuals, while the iPhone 17 Pro brings Apple’s latest silicon innovations to mobile gaming.
Such performance comparisons highlight the increasingly blurred lines between dedicated gaming hardware and multipurpose mobile devices, as smartphone processing power continues to advance rapidly.