Capcom Updates ‘Resident Evil 4′, ‘Resident Evil Village’, and ‘Resident Evil 7’ on iOS With Online DRM

TouchArcade Rating:

Capcom's recent update to its iOS and iPadOS ports of Resident Evil 7 biohazard, Resident Evil 4 Remake, and Resident Evil Village has introduced a controversial online DRM system. This update, deployed approximately an hour ago, now requires an internet connection to verify ownership before launching the games. While updates often improve optimization or compatibility, this addition significantly impacts offline playability. The games now require an online purchase check each time they are started, preventing offline access. This is a substantial downgrade from the previous versions, which functioned perfectly offline.

Pre-update testing confirmed that all three titles launched and played offline. Post-update, a prompt verifies ownership, and selecting "no" closes the application. While this may not bother all players, the mandatory online check is a negative change for those who purchased the games. The forced online check is particularly concerning, especially considering the premium price point of these ports. Hopefully, Capcom will reconsider this implementation or at least reduce the frequency of these checks. This update unfortunately makes recommending these otherwise excellent ports more difficult.

The games remain free to try before purchase. You can download Resident Evil 7 biohazard for iOS, iPadOS, and macOS here. Resident Evil 4 Remake and Resident Evil Village are available on the App Store here and here, respectively. My reviews for each can be found here, here, and here. Do you own these Resident Evil titles on iOS? What are your thoughts on this update?