Whether you’re commuting on public transportation or standing in line at the grocery store, you’ve probably noticed people spend a lot of time on their smartphones. While scrolling through social media and responding to texts are common uses of these mobile devices, more and more often, people are turning to them to play their favorite games. Since smartphones made their debut over a decade ago, they’ve become portable entertainment devices.
From listening to the latest pop hits on Spotify to streaming the Mandalorian on Disney+, smartphones have made it possible to entertain ourselves on the go. For many gamers, smartphones have become their go-to platform. Gone are the days of being restricted to gaming consoles in front of the living TV or expensive PCs; smartphones have given people a way to play whenever and wherever they want. In this article, we look at why so many gamers prefer smartphones over other devices.
Accessibility and Convenience
From the time video games went mainstream, gamers were looking for ways to take their favorite titles with them on the go. The video games industry listened, releasing portable consoles like the Nintendo Gameboy, the Sega Game Gear, the PlayStation Portable, and the Nintendo DS, among many others. While this scratched an itch, technological limitations prevented these portable consoles from ever rivaling traditional consoles and PCs.
All of that changed with the smartphone. Gamers could now take their favorite titles with them on the go. As internet speeds became faster and smartphone hardware and software improved, the selection of games also got better. Almost any genre of game a player could dream of was available on online platforms or in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.
At the same time, the iGaming industry found its place among all of the online gaming offerings as online casinos went online. These platforms featured casino games for Android and iPhone, giving users an opportunity to spin the reels or play their favorite card and table games from the location of their choice. While traveling to Las Vegas is still on the bucket list of many, they can now enjoy the same games without leaving home, something that has made smartphone gaming so appealing.
Affordability Compared to Other Gaming Devices
While smartphones can cost as much and sometimes more than a gaming console, they’re multifunctional devices that most of us rely on for other parts of our lives. For many, buying a smartphone and using it as a gaming platform is much more cost-effective than putting together a dedicated gaming setup.
Besides saving on the price of the hardware, when gamers use their smartphones to play their favorite titles, they save on the cost of games. Many mobile games are a fraction of the cost of console and PC titles, with the free-to-play and low-cost model making them more accessible to gamers on a budget. Plus, when you buy a smartphone, you don’t have to think about expensive hardware upgrades like graphics cards or next-generational consoles, which has helped push smartphone gaming into the mainstream.
Rapid Advancements in Mobile Gaming Technology
Just because smartphones don’t require hardware upgrades doesn’t mean their technology is stagnant. In fact, smartphone technology is constantly improving, which is one of the reasons today’s mobile gaming experience is so much better than it was ten years ago.
Modern smartphones feature powerful processors and high refresh rate displays that allow them to run high-quality games. The 5G rollout and Wi-Fi 6 technology have reduced latency, making online multiplayer sessions much better than they were a few years ago. You can even invest in a dedicated gaming phone that comes with advanced cooling systems and gaming modes to handle more demanding games.
Even AAA titles are getting in on the mobile gaming action as developers have created mobile versions of the most popular titles. Many mobile games support cross-platform play, allowing gamers to play their games across multiple devices and with others who aren’t using the same gaming ecosystem as them.
