The most significant factor preventing a 3DO port was the temporal window of the console’s lifecycle.
To understand why Tomb Raider bypassed the 3DO, one must compare the 3DO architecture with the PlayStation (PS1), the lead platform for Tomb Raider in the console market. tomb raider 3do
The 3DO utilized a 32-bit ARM60 RISC CPU and a custom graphics engine capable of rendering unlimited sprites and handling texture mapping. Theoretically, the 3DO could push more polygons than early PlayStation models. However, the console lacked a dedicated geometry engine. The CPU had to handle all logic and geometry calculations, creating a bottleneck in 3D games with complex environmental structures. The most significant factor preventing a 3DO port