Gaming on Apps vs PCs

The rise of the mobile gaming market has been meteoric. Many games that can be played on PC can’t be played on mobile, but there are many apps that can be downloaded onto a PC and enjoyed as if someone was playing on a mobile device. All one would need is a mobile app maker and they would be able to create quite the gaming experience.

Mobile vs PC – What Can You Expect?
 

Think of a computer game that you would play on PC and you no doubt think of some of the most spectacular and famous franchises ever made. Some of these could be esports, others could be RPGs. They could be simple and easy to play or known for their difficulty and steep learning curve. They are, however, very different from what you find in the mobile marketplace.

Mobile games are typically known for their simplicity. They are often built around the notion of a cooldown timer. This could be while something gets built, a resource is generated, or to unlock a free pass to continue playing the game. These features are designed to make their players either step away from their game for a little while or pay to sit and play. This is in stark contrast to PC gaming which wants that long play session. Even if you were to download a mobile game to your PC, it might have this idle function that requires you to cease playing for a short amount of time.

If games do not have such a function, they are usually level-based. You can work your way up through the levels as you choose – if you get through all available levels you will need to wait for an update from the devs in order to continue.

Graphical Quality
 

Once upon a time, mobile games would not have had the same depth as you would find in a PC game. While there have always been PC games that have relied on a more retro or simpler aesthetic, there are plenty of others that really seek to push the boundaries when it comes to game design and graphics. Everything from the look of the models to small details like stagger animations and realistic physics can help with the immersion of the game.

This is something that we are only just beginning to see in the world of mobile gaming. In terms of models, yes – there have been vast improvements. It is now possible to find games that have high-quality 3D models or a unique art style. However, even with these improvements, they can still be very far behind what is on offer from PC games. Just playing a PC game next to a mobile game will show a clear difference between the two, regardless of the game you choose.

Depth
 

If you want depth from a game, you would typically go to a PC game. There would be the space and the memory here to allow a game to properly flourish, and it means that more can be put into the game beyond aesthetics and mechanics. Lore-heavy games are always well-loved by their fans, with many people happy to learn more about the world of the game even if it means that they have to turn to resources outside of the games themselves, or research the smallest of easter eggs.

We are beginning to see this emerge in the world of mobile gaming. Many app-based games will connect to the internet, allowing for the download of additional materials. It is often advised to play such games on a Wi-Fi connection so they don’t eat significant parts of your data. This then allows game designers to build a platform on which they can present a significant game with many more details than a simple puzzler or platformer.

The Rise of the Indie Market

Of course, one also has to consider the contributions of the indie market. In both gaming app development and PC games, there are many indie designers creating cult favourites that become games that many types of players adore.

Though it requires significant time, it is now possible for anyone to become an indie game developer if they have an idea for a game. Whether they want to create their own app or a piece of software that could go on a marketplace like Steam, the option is available for them should they decide to try it.

The gaming market grows year on year. Though there used to be a clear distinction between mobile and PC games, there is more and more of an overlap between them with every passing year. It is entirely possible to enjoy many of the best mobile app games on PC, so we could see these two types of gaming come together even more closely in the future.