Game Consoles

Console gaming may be a thing of the past.

Many people enjoy gaming in their free time but as smartphones and tablets are becoming more and more sophisticated and powerful could this be the demise of console gaming as we know it?

The designers and developers of games may want gamers to stay with a particular platform and so to ensure this happens some titles are only released on certain platforms. This means that players will need to have a particular console to play. This does not always happen and in fact Android and iOS smartphones also have an extensive game library so that smartphone games are more suitable for portable gaming, allowing you to sync your progress easily across devices and having shorter rounds that last between 10 to 30 minutes. This is great if you only have a short time to play. Many game developers are porting their PC titles as smartphones get more performance so you can now find popular PC and console titles like Call of Duty, Apex Legends, and Diablo in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.

Battery life is the bane of gamers’ lives whether using a console or a smartphone. Smartphones vary significantly in battery life, but if you start playing high-end games with it, you will likely get less than the manufacturers claim. However, one clear advantage that most smartphones have over gaming consoles is fast charging. This is not yet possible with consoles on the market currently so if you prefer playing wirelessly your controller will need charging after a few hours of play.

One of the things that put a lot of serious gamers off playing on a tablet is the virtual, on-screen controls. The smartphone cannot beat a handheld console’s controller. Despite the flexibility touchscreens offer, physical buttons and joysticks are still better for hardcore gaming as you can use tactile response to move in your game. Furthermore, the additional buttons on the shoulder and back of handheld consoles give you more control. If you are gaming on your smartphone, you are unfortunately stuck with on-screen controls which mean that often your fingers block on-screen elements, and you are also limited to pressing two buttons simultaneously. Some gaming smartphones have extra shoulder buttons and other features that improve the experience, but these models are rare.

If you already have an up to date smartphone or tablet and are trying to decide between upgrading to a flagship model or getting a handheld gaming console, you will find that the console is far more affordable than phones. Smartphones are readily available on the market, but you’ll have to pay substantially more to get the best gaming performance.