When mobile devices first came out, their primary objective was to ease communications. Then technology advanced and developers turned these hand-held gadgets into gaming consoles.
Today, mobile gaming is a $71 billion industry. What’s more, the industry is expected to grow at 11% annually to hit $153 billion by 2027. Although mobile devices can’t support the most advanced video games, they represent 40% of the entire gaming industry.
That said, below are more reasons on why the future of gaming is mobile.
Ease of Accessibility
In the developed world, up to 98% of the population has access to smartphones. In developing countries, the figure is lower. Still, people find it easier to access mobile devices compared to standard gaming consoles and PC machines.
Globally, more than three billion people own smartphones. Most of these devices support games, exposing a third of the world to gaming.
Although desktop computers are likely not going anywhere, they might never become as popular as mobile devices in this era. There are six billion smartphones in the world, according to Samsung—three times the number of PC computers.
Improving Quality of Games
Remember when the only game mobile devices would support was the snake game from Nokia? Those days are gone. Today, smartphones can support millions of games, from racing and fighting games to sports simulations and casino games.
The quality of games you can play on a mobile device depends on your smartphone more than anything else. If you own the iPhone Pro Max or the Samsung Galaxy S21, you can play all manner of advanced games: Call of Duty, FIFA 22, Fortnite and PUBG to name a few.
If you own a low budget smartphone, don’t give up on mobile gaming. Various games are available in most of the categories. Even by searching for the best mobile casinos, you will find games like slots, blackjack, craps, roulette and many more.
And if you prefer to play non casino games, you can also access Clash of Clans, Candy Crush Saga, billiards, Tetris, and tons of other games.
Loads of Free and Cheap Games
One of the reasons mobile gaming is growing rapidly is because most mobile games are free of charge. You don’t need to spend $50 to get access to a game. You can download it or play it online without having to pay.
Lately, many PC and console video games have also embraced the free to play format. They let you play their games for free. But they find ingenious ways to make money from you:
- Adverts
- Loot boxes
- Game passes
- Selling skins
- Subscriptions
The free to play model has its benefits and drawbacks. On the one hand, it helped popularize gaming. People can now play quality games without having to pay. On the other end, it rewards paying gamers the most.
With some modern games, you have to spend thousands of dollars on microtransactions to win. Otherwise, the free modes limit you so much that you have no chance of completing a game without paying.
Convenience
Think about it. If you lose sleep at night and decide to pass the time, you’re more likely to pick your smartphone than your laptop. If you’re on the bus to work, a smartphone is the best device to keep you busy.
In other words, mobile devices provide the kind of convenience no other gaming device can. The best part is that some devices can keep charge for more than a day. So, you could spend long hours playing mobile games while on vacation, on your coach or waiting at the doctor’s office.
These days, you need a mobile connection to play most games. However, that’s not always the case. You can download your favorite games and still play them when you don’t have access to the Internet.
Multiplayer Support
In the 80’s and 90’s, playing computer games with friends visiting them at their homes. You had to be together to play the same game. Nowadays, you can play with friends and strangers from all parts of the world.
This technology is available on mobile devices. All you need is fast Internet and the right game. Take Fortnite, for example. In its Battle Royale mode, you can compete with 99 other players from all over the world.
In many cases, games with multiplayer support tend to work across multiple devices. For example, you can play PUB a little bit on your smartphone. And later continue with the game on your PC and tablet.
Better Smartphone Performance
As we mentioned earlier, technology helped improve the quality of mobile games. However, this would never have succeeded if mobile devices remained the same. Fortunately, the performance of smartphones has progressed dramatically in the last decade.
Two decades ago, a mobile device was good for calling and texting. Today, it can perform a huge number of things. You can video call people with a smartphone. You can edit photos and videos, listen to music and watch YouTube videos.
You can trade the financial markets through your smartphone, stream sports and watch Netflix shows. All this is possible because modern smartphones have powerful processors and hardware.
The Entrance of Big Companies
Before mobile gaming exploded, it was the specialty of small-time developers. Over the years, brand name developers like EA, Ubisoft, Bethesda and Konami realized they could make money from the industry.
Nowadays, Konami says mobile is its primary focus. On the other hand, other brand name developers have departments solely focused on creating quality mobile games.
There are many reasons big companies are entering the mobile gaming market. First, is its size. With billions of people playing mobile games, there’s a lot of money to be made.
Then there’s the advancement of technology. Developers don’t need to worry about creating games that won’t run on mobile devices. Modern smartphones can support high quality games as we mentioned earlier.
Verdict
Mobile gaming is the future of the industry. Already, nearly half of all gamers play through smartphones. That’s because smartphones run a lot of entertaining games. Mobile devices are also more affordable and convenient.
