Hitman World of Assassination Comes to iOS, With Solid Touch Warts and All
Hitman World of Assassination packs the whole trilogy’s worth of missions into one slick bundle and now lands on iOS. The port looks sharp and plays well for a mobile take on a AAA stealth game, but it isn’t flawless. I tested it on an iPhone 16 and an iPad Pro with the M4 chip, and while I’m glad IO Interactive gave iOS players the full package, I wish the Mac version paired with this release didn’t lag behind.
Clean Menus, But Touch Usability Could Use a Nudge
From the moment you start up the game, the clean, familiar menus from the PC and console builds are in place. That’s a good sign, since it keeps the game feeling like the same experience you know. Still, a few tweaks to make things friendlier for touch screens would help. Some items have smaller touch targets than I’d expect on an iPhone, though it’s less of an issue on the larger iPad. On the phone, I found myself fighting with the screen real estate a bit more often.
Controls: Touch Is Functional, But a Controller Helps a Lot
Touch controls work for a game this paced, but they aren’t perfect. The action feels smoother when you pair the game with a controller, like the Backbone or a similar pad. Slower, methodical play benefits from joysticks and buttons, which makes takedowns and door openings easier. A notable annoyance is how contextual buttons pop up over the action they affect, forcing you to regrip to reach a lock or a squad of guards.
Performance and Visuals Across iPhone and iPad
On the iPhone 16, performance lands around 30 frames per second most of the time, with occasional dips. It isn’t a flawless 60fps, but the pace of Hitman keeps these drops from pulling you out of the moment too often. If you want a steadier target, you can opt for a 60fps mode, though it’s a bit taxing on the device unless you’re willing to lean on upscaling to keep things smooth.
There are two MetalFX upscaling options. Temporal upscaling yields the best image quality and lets you pick between Balanced, Performance, and Quality modes. Spatial upscaling uses less power, but it’s locked to Performance on the iPhone. In practice, Temporal is the nicer look, but Spatial can help on longer sessions if you want fewer frame dips. Either way, the mobile version holds up, though you’ll see the best results on the iPad Pro with the M4 chip or future iPhones.
In my testing on the iPad Pro with an M4, the game looked notably sharper and ran more fluidly. The larger screen helps with menu navigation and weapon handling, making the stealth feel a touch more precise.
Cloud Saves: A Big Miss for Cross-Device Feats
One major letdown is the lack of cloud saves. There’s no option to sync progress via iCloud or any other service. For a game that bundles three Hitman titles together with extra missions, that adds real friction. The idea of hopping between a phone and a tablet without losing progress sounds great in theory, but right now it just isn’t possible. If a Mac version lands later this year, cross-device play would feel much more cohesive with cloud syncing in place.
Free First Mission and the Cost of Doing Business
The game can be tried with a free opening mission, which is a nice invitation for new players. Beyond that, the price tag becomes a talking point, especially given the lack of cloud saves and the potential wait for Mac compatibility. For fans who want this experience on the go, it’s a solid package, but the cloud saves omission does put a damper on value for some.
What to Expect Next for iOS Hitman
Overall, the iOS version keeps the core Hitman feel intact. The level design, stealth systems, and mission variety translate well to a touchscreen format, especially on the iPad’s bigger canvas. The controls improve with a dedicated controller, and the visuals stay sharp with the right scaling. The biggest caveat remains the absence of cloud syncing, which makes multi-device play feel incomplete right now.
If IO Interactive can bring iCloud support or another reliable cloud save option before the Mac version comes later this fall, the mobile drop will feel much more complete. Until then, iOS players get the core package and the freedom to tackle a broad set of missions on the go, provided they’re willing to stay within a single device.
The first mission is free to try, so curious players can sample the pace and style without a heavy commitment. For fans who want to enjoy the full stealth suite on the move, Hitman World of Assassination on iOS is worth a look, even with its current shortcomings.
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