The video game world was changed forever with the release of the first iPhone in 2008 and the popularity of mobile titles has skyrocketed ever since. Smartphone technology continues to improve and mobile games have now surpassed console and PC gaming in total revenue. Why the change? Mobile games have a number of benefits over their console counterparts.
Easier on Your Wallet
Last year, EA Sports released the latest version of their popular FIFA soccer game for XBox One, PlayStation 4, Windows, and Nintendo Switch. The game cost $60 (or more for a deluxe version), but it was pretty much the same version that had come out the previous year, and the year before that. And the year before that. It’s an impressive game that’s addictive to play, but the annual price tag is high and gamers revolted against the “pay to win” scenarios in the Ultimate Team feature.
Now take a look through the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. See any $60 price tags? In fact, the most expensive game on the App Store’s top 200 paid games list is RPG classic Final Fantasy VII at $15.99. Games from indie studios are even cheaper, costing at most $7. And then you’ve got free ones like the addictive HopLite Hero. Zero dollars is a difficult price for console games to match. You already have an expensive phone, why not use it play games for cheap?
Take Them Everywhere
Console games anchor you to your living room. I mean it’s called a PlayStation for very literal reasons. You can’t power your consoles with batteries and you have to hook them up to some kind of screen. Cordless controllers are the most liberating console game feature to date. There’s really only one place to play console games – at home in front of the TV.
Mobile games can be played anywhere, sometimes even without an internet connection. Years ago, Nintendo sold the Gameboy portable player, but the games were very mundane and inferior to their console cousins. The power of portable systems has greatly improved since and now you can enjoy high-quality games anywhere. Nintendo even got back into the market with the DS handheld. Now you have the freedom to play while waiting at the doctor’s office, DMV, or a long road trip.
No Choosing Between Consoles
The console wars have been brutal over the years, with Nintendo and Sony battling for supremacy while fighting off challenges from Microsoft’s XBox and Sega’s Genesis and Dreamcast. The Nintendo brand features Mario and Star Fox, XBox has the Halo series, and PlayStation has Uncharted and Until Dawn. Games like these are exclusive to their separate consoles, forcing gamers to often choose between system.
But iOS and Android cross games more frequently than consoles and your game selection is much greater. You can download classic console games from both the App and Google Play Store and never have to worry about missing out on anticipated titles because you don’t own the right system.