Following hints of a release earlier this summer, the iOS version of 2K Games' original first person shooter BioShock is now available in the App Store. Rumored since 2008, BioShock on iOS is a port of the full, original game first released in 2007.

Set in 1960, BioShock asks players to take on the role of Jack, a plane crash survivor who finds his way into the defunct underwater city of Rapture. Jack has to fight his way out of the city, battling Big Daddies and other enemies while using an array of heavy weaponry and taking advantage of genetics-altering plasmids that grant him super powers. Over the course of the game, players also discover the rich history behind the creation of Rapture and its eventual fall.

One of the greatest first person shooters of all time, BioShock comes to iOS!

BioShock is the "genetically enhanced" first person shooter where you can turn everything into a weapon: the environment, your body, fire and water, and even your worst enemies.

You are a cast-away in Rapture, an underwater Utopia torn apart by civil war. Caught between powerful forces, and hunted down by genetically modified "splicers" and deadly security systems, you have to come to grips with a deadly, mysterious world filled with powerful technology and fascinating characters. No encounter ever plays out the same, and no two gamers will play the game the same way.

Earlier this month, our sister site TouchArcade went hands on with BioShock for iOS, and found that it runs "like a dream on iOS hardware" but had somewhat poor virtual controls as is common with first person shooters on a touchscreen. It does, however, work very well with a Bluetooth controller, which makes it "just like playing on a console." The game's graphics were slightly toned down to make it run on iOS, removing the fog and dynamic shadows, but TouchArcade says "you'd be hard-pressed to tell."


BioShock is limited to newer iOS devices, including the iPad Air, Retina iPad mini, fourth-generation iPad, and the iPhone 5/5c/5s.

BioShock can be downloaded from the App Store for $14.99. [Direct Link]

Top Rated Comments

NameUndecided Avatar
146 months ago
Third generation iPad owner and this is the first time I've personally seen an incompatible app. It begins!!
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
_Refurbished_ Avatar
146 months ago
Would you kindly stop complaining about controller support and just play the game.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mejsric Avatar
146 months ago
Interesting! Now Pc games can be played on iOS, i wonder what is next?

Next would be continuity. From iOS to Mac then Mac to iOS.

Me playing BioShock on iMac
Mom: Cmon honey we will be late.
Me: "Transfer the game to iPad" Fine!
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jclo Avatar
146 months ago
Is there no controller support? If not, that's sad, and really sad for Apple because they were too stupid to understand that they needed to make their own controller. It wasn't hard to see that third party controllers weren't going to go anywhere. I personally own the Moga one because I won it in a contest, and it is laughably bad, and ridiculously cheaply made, with poor materials. There are also virtually no apps that support them because developers know that no one has them. Only Apple could sell one that a lot of people would buy.

No support for Mfi game controllers like the Logitech Powershell?

It has controller support.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Zellio Avatar
146 months ago
Would you kindly stop complaining about controller support and just play the game.

A man chooses, a slave obeys!
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
saturnotaku Avatar
146 months ago
Bioshock for OS X: 7.25 GB
Bioshock for iOS: 1.65 GB

And yet it seems some people are surprised that the iOS version doesn't look as good as the desktop one.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

AirPods Pro Firmware Feature

Apple Releases New Firmware for AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3, and AirPods 4

Thursday November 13, 2025 11:35 am PST by
Apple today released new firmware designed for the AirPods Pro 3, the AirPods 4, and the prior-generation AirPods Pro 2. The AirPods Pro 3 firmware is 8B25, while the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4 firmware is 8B21, all up from the prior 8A358 firmware released in October. There's no word on what's include in the updated firmware, but the AirPods Pro 2, AirPods 4 with ANC, and AirPods Pro 3...
CarPlay Pinned Messages

iOS 26.2 Adds New CarPlay Setting

Thursday November 13, 2025 6:48 am PST by
iOS 26 extended pinned conversations in the Messages app to CarPlay, for quick access to your most frequent chats. However, some drivers may prefer the classic view with a list of individual conversations only, and Apple now lets users choose. Apple released the second beta of iOS 26.2 this week, and it introduces a new CarPlay setting for turning off pinned conversations in the Messages...
Tesla Charging

Tesla Working to Add Apple CarPlay Support to Vehicles

Thursday November 13, 2025 8:31 am PST by
Tesla is working to add support for Apple CarPlay in its vehicles, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports. Tesla vehicles rely on its own infotainment software system, which integrates vehicle functions, navigation, music, web browsing, and more. The automaker has been an outlier in foregoing support for Apple CarPlay, which has otherwise become an industry standard feature, allowing users to...
tvOS 26 Profiles

tvOS 26.2 Adds a Useful New Feature to Your Apple TV

Friday November 14, 2025 10:02 am PST by
Starting with the upcoming tvOS 26.2 update, currently in beta, additional profiles created on the Apple TV no longer require their own Apple Account. In the Settings app on the Apple TV, under Profiles and Accounts, anyone can create a new profile by simply entering a name and indicating whether the profile is for a kid. The profile will be associated with the primary user's Apple Account,...
iPhone Pocket Short

iPhone Pocket Now Available to Order, But Already Selling Out

Friday November 14, 2025 6:20 am PST by
Apple recently teamed up with Japanese fashion brand ISSEY MIYAKE to create the iPhone Pocket, a limited-edition knitted accessory designed to carry an iPhone. iPhone Pocket is available to order on Apple's online store starting today, in the United States, France, China, Italy, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, and the United Kingdom. However, it is already completely sold out in the United...
homepod mini thumb feature

New HomePod Mini, Apple TV, and AirTag Were Expected This Year — Where Are They?

Wednesday November 12, 2025 11:42 am PST by
While it was rumored that Apple planned to release new versions of the HomePod mini, Apple TV, and AirTag this year, it is no longer clear if that will still happen. Back in January, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Apple planned to release new HomePod mini and Apple TV models "toward the end of the year," while he at one point expected a new AirTag to launch "around the middle of 2025." Yet,...
iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Available Next Month With These 8 New Features

Tuesday November 11, 2025 9:48 am PST by
Apple released the first iOS 26.2 beta last week. The upcoming update includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, including a new Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics in Apple Music, and more. In a recent press release, Apple confirmed that iOS 26.2 will be released to all users in December, but it did not provide a specific release date....
m1 chip slide

Five Years of Apple Silicon: M1 to M5 Performance Comparison

Monday November 10, 2025 1:08 pm PST by
Today marks the fifth anniversary of the Apple silicon chip that replaced Intel chips in Apple's Mac lineup. The first Apple silicon chip, the M1, was unveiled on November 10, 2020. The M1 debuted in the MacBook Air, Mac mini, and 13-inch MacBook Pro. The M1 chip was impressive when it launched, featuring the "world's fastest CPU core" and industry-leading performance per watt, and it's only ...
walmart new ornametns

Walmart Black Friday Deals Begin Today With Low Prices on Headphones, TVs, and More

Friday November 14, 2025 7:55 am PST by
Walmart's Black Friday sale has officially kicked off today, with an online shopping event that's also seeing some matching deals in retail locations. There are quite a few major discounts in this sale, including savings on headphones, TVs, and more. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Walmart. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us...
iOS 26

Everything New in iOS 26.2 Beta 2

Wednesday November 12, 2025 3:29 pm PST by
Apple today provided developers with the second beta of iOS 26.2, which adds a few new features worth knowing about. Measure App Apple's Measure app now features a Liquid Glass design for the level, with two Liquid Glass bubbles instead of white circles. Games App There's now an option to sort games in the Games app Library by size, in addition to Name and Recent. CarPlay The...