We now live in the golden age for playing games and due to technological development, the way we play is quickly changing. Revenue from the mobile gaming market has now overtaken PC and console gaming revenues combined.
There are now more than 2.7 billion gamers around the world and at least 59 percent of games are played on mobile phones. The fastest developing market is in South East Asia, which now accounts for roughly 55 percent of the mobile market.
Why are more people choosing to play games on their smartphones?
There are a number of reasons that people are choosing to play games from these devices, with one big one being convenience. From an iPhone or Android device, players can enjoy games anywhere and anytime that suits them.
Cost is also an important consideration when it comes to deciding how to play games. Purchasing a gaming PC or console can be a significant expense. While the latest smartphones on the market are not cheap, almost everyone has a mobile phone for communication and accessing the web and so there is no need to make a new purchase specifically for gaming.
Games are also typically cheaper on mobile in comparison to consoles or PC.
The quality of mobile games has come a very long way in recent years. Mobile technology development and further investment in game development has made way for more complex games with in-depth plots and incredible graphics.
The roll out of the 5G network in many parts of the world has also supported this as many games require a stable internet connection to access all features and parts of the game.
So, what types of mobile games are most popular?
There are now mobile games to suit all interests and skill levels. Many people enjoy strategy and puzzle games on mobile and these tend to attract audiences across all generations.
First person shooters and action titles are also becoming increasingly popular.
Casino games are enjoyed by many adults and there are more casino games on mobile than ever before. The appeal of mobile casino games has grown with more mobile casino providers offering a variety of promotions to their players. Mobile slot providers in particular commonly offer free spins to their players who deposit a set amount, allowing players to play for free.
Furthermore, battle royale games like PUBG mobile and Fortnite are enjoying high player numbers at present.
Apple vs. Android – which is better for gaming?
Ask any avid mobile gamer and they are likely to have a strong preference for which operating system (OS) they prefer to play games on. Choosing between an Apple product and the wide range of Android products on the market can be a difficult choice but both operating systems have their pros and cons when it comes to gaming.
Which has the best gaming availability?
Finding games to play on either an Apple or Android device is not going to be an issue, both platform’s app stores have more than a million apps on offer and at least 25 percent are gaming apps.
Due to there being a wider array of Android devices available on the market, testing can take longer and be more expensive for this platform and therefore updates can be slower and less frequent. When resources are limited for a game development company, they will often begin with developing for iOS devices and reach Android at a later date.
Interestingly, while there are significantly more Android users than Apple users, iOS users typically spend a lot more on gaming apps than their Android counterparts. This might help explain why developers go down the iOS route first.
What about processing power and GPU?
Whether you are playing on a PC or a mobile phone, having a powerful processor is essential to high-quality, uninterrupted gameplay. Phone processors differ between the variety of Android devices but one type often used is the Snapdragon processor.
For example, the popular gaming phone Black Shark 4 Pro has a Snapdragon 888 5G, while the lower cost gaming Android phone Nubia Red Magic 7 has a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. Efficiency and battery consumption differs between the different models.
For Apple devices, Apple has created their own processors and their newer A10 Fusion processor is 40 percent faster and has a 50% better GPU performance.
If you are not particularly tech savvy, with an Apple device you can be assured you have a quality processor. However, some top end Android devices has superior processors and so if you can assess the tech specs for your top Android devices you can decide which is best for you.
Battery life
All gamers will know the importance of battery life, nothing is worse than getting to a key point in the game and suddenly losing power. There is no clear answer to whether Apple or Android have better batteries.
Apple device batteries tend to be smaller, however hardware and software optimisation has allowed Apple to fit more power into devices with smaller batteries. Android devices have larger batteries and Android devices built with gaming in mind tend to have a longer battery life.
On the whole, you can have a great gaming experience with either an Android or Apple smartphone. If you want more choice and customisation then Android might be the better choice, but for casual gamers any iPhone can offer assurance of a powerful processor and good reliability.