Smartphones are now a common fixture of modern life. As such, gaming companies have found a use for these portable devices. Since a large portion of the general public has access to a smartphone, it makes sense that game developers would use this tech as the next platform for their games. Some developers are choosing to release a secondary version of their console releases for the smartphone or ignoring the current console generation completely and making games that are only suitable for the modern smartphone.
Is this approach the sensible solution, though? There are a lot of positives and negatives that come with gaming on a smaller device. Let’s discuss the pros and cons of smartphone gaming to see if it has a future in 2023.
Pro: Easy To Develop
One obvious positive for gaming developers is that smartphones are easier to programme and develop. This is because they get to use a gaming framework instead of creating a new engine for every release. Therefore, releasing a smartphone game is cheaper for the company, which means that they can release multiple titles in quick succession.
The simple development process also has benefits for the consumer. New games can be released more frequently, and the smaller development cost makes them cheaper for the consumer.
Con: Battery Depletion
Almost every smartphone user has had that same experience. You are out and about browsing on your phone at your leisure, and you are suddenly brick-walled by a dead battery. You have to stop what you are doing, no matter how important, and rush around to find a charger.
Every gamer knows how frustrating this can be during a crucial part of the game, and it can be worse if you haven’t saved your progress in a while. Unfortunately, this is the ad reality of smartphone gaming. You need to time your games based on your current battery life, and you may face the consequences if you do not keep one eye on that corner of the screen.
Pro: Variety
The gaming world has evolved immensely in the last few decades. Console game developers have pinned most of their focus toward story-driven games that use a lot of processing power, which is why there is a market for smaller, less taxing video games on mobile devices. However, smartphone game developers also create mobile-compatible versions of the larger console titles as well.
This means that you are likely to experience a wider variety of games when you play on your smartphone. There are puzzle games, infinite runners, first-person shooters, and even online casino games. In fact, most online casinos are focusing their marketing on mobile players in 2023. You are more likely to encounter a PlayLive free spins bonus when you choose to play these types of games on your smartphone, whereas there is no equivalent offer for console gamers. Therefore, any type of gamer can find something that suits their sensibilities when they play video games on their smartphone.
Con: Smaller Screen
It makes perfect sense that gamers will want to play on the biggest screen available. The larger the screen, the clearer the picture and the more you see while playing. This clarity can often make the difference between life and death in most video games. That is why console gamers choose to plug their devices into the biggest T.V they can find or a wall projector.
Unfortunately, mobile gamers do not have this option. They are stuck with whatever sized screen that comes with the phone, and these rarely exceed a five by six-inch area. This limited screen size can make playing your favourite games more challenging, and it is harder to share your progress with friends. While this aspect does not outright ruin the games themselves, it can hurt the overall experience.
Pro: Convenience
Of course, the most obvious benefit of smartphone gaming is that it allows you to play while on the move. This means that you never have to pause your game because you have somewhere else to be. You can play video games on your morning commute, on your lunch break, and even in bed.
There isn’t a lot more that needs to be said about the convenience of mobile gaming devices. Just keep an eye on your battery level and you should be able to play video games wherever and whenever you want.
Con: Security
Mobile gamers can download their video games using an app store or similar software. Sadly, this process is also a great opportunity for scammers to place harmful malware onto your device without your knowledge.
Cyber-security is a concern for smartphone users, which is why you need to be extra careful when downloading items onto your phone. Just because a game app has stellar reviews, that does not mean that it is OK to put onto your device. Make sure that you are searching for external opinions and, if something seems too good to be true then it probably is. Therefore, smartphone gamers need to exercise more caution when looking for new games to play.
Pro: Ageless Gaming
Video games have often been perceived as a past-time for younger generations. These people have grown up with the technology, which means they are able to keep up with new advancements better than those that have never touched a game controller.
However, a smartphone is more of a universal tool, one that is optimised for every age group. This means that older generations can play smartphone games without having to worry about learning a new set of skills. Therefore, smartphone gaming is slowly closing the age gap between generations of gamers, making it a more universal experience.
Conclusion
While smartphones are unlikely to overtake home consoles as the number one gaming device, they do offer players a series of benefits over their larger counterparts. At the end of the day, it all comes down to what type of experience you prefer. With everything that smartphone gaming has to offer, it shouldn’t take too long for more of the general public to embrace this type of gaming.
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