Thanks to smartphone technology, the access to online gaming is always at our fingertips. Nowadays, most people are carrying one of these handy devices in their back pocket, and the global revenue sourced from various online games testifies to the gadget’s popularity.
Better yet, the technology is undergoing constant innovation and improvement, so the future looks even brighter. Who knows, maybe in a couple of years down the line, we’ll have a portable device with integrated VR that will allow us to jump into a fully virtual environment on demand?
With this in mind, let’s take a look at how they are moving the boundaries of online gaming as we know it, what’s still to come, and how it all ties together.
Widespread adoption
Even now, most view smartphones as relatively intuitive and user-friendly, and you would be hard pressed to find a generation that finds them to be too difficult to use. Those who aren’t the biggest fans of Android can always see if iOS suits them better (and vice-versa). Either way, the fact remains – smartphones are now mainstream and they are here to stay (but not stagnate). Based on the trends observed, we can expect to see even more widespread adoption as time goes on.
Technology that keeps evolving
While the older generations of mobile phones only came equipped with the basic functionality, the newer generations of smartphones pack a decent punch of raw computing power. In practice, this allows them to utilize every piece of hardware to its fullest potential, including touchscreen and camera. For gamers, that means that they can now take advantage of a virtual gaming marketplace.
In the casino space, we’ve seen several breakthroughs in terms of live gameplay as part of which you get to interact with a real croupier on the other end of the line. Combine lightning-fast connection speeds, razor-sharp graphics, high-fidelity built-in cameras, and some elements of VR, and the result you get is an environment that represents a mix of digital and physical.
Keep in mind that not every casino app out there supports this by default. Therefore, it’s best to keep yourself up-to-date by going through a reliable guide that features some of the best US casino apps reviewed by a trusted and independent reviewer. Apart from live game support, an important factor to look for is the platform’s level of security, along with proper licensing, fair playing conditions, a vast selection of titles to choose from, and bonuses that make your stay worthwhile.
Smartphones vs. consoles
Let’s get one thing straight: consoles are awesome! But hardly anyone can argue they’re as convenient as smartphones. It’s not even a debate. Typically, a console is a dedicated piece of hardware that serves one purpose only – video games. But unless you’re carrying around a dimensional equivalent of Nintendo Switch, they’re typically not the most portable thing on the planet. And even handheld consoles are limited or otherwise restricted to their intended purpose and functionality.
Smartphones, on the other hand, are like a modern rendition of the Swiss Army knife. Beyond gaming, they allow you to order food online, find your intended destination through built-in maps, record audio and video, store your files in the cloud, keep in touch with your friends and colleagues, book an appointment, etc. You get the picture. In other words, if you’re going to bring a handheld console with you, there’d better be a good reason for it. Otherwise, it could end up being nothing more than a fancy paperweight if you’re not in a suitable environment to play one.
But taking a smartphone with you anywhere you go without giving it a second thought? Clearly, a no-brainer. And that’s the key difference. They’re all-in-one type of devices and portable to boot.
A whole app store of online games awaits
Regardless of whether you’re accessing Apple’s or Google’s app store, there’s a ton of online games you can download and play for free. Some might argue that PlayStation Store offers a similar experience, but the statement by no means tells the entire story. The devil is in the details; while true that a typical Playstation game is much more polished, it’s likely going to be pay-to-play, at least in the vast majority of cases.
If you were to take a look at a mobile app store, you’d be amazed how many well-polished online games there are to choose from that you can download for free. At the end of the day, it’s competition that drives innovation and pressure makes diamonds. Nowadays, even a free-to-play title has to be polished to the brim to warrant a download on the user’s end. That’s how brutal the competition can be.
Zero distribution costs
To expand the point made above, keep in mind that distributing these games online comes at virtually no cost. In the old times, downloading what would be considered minuscule files in size by today’s standards, required quite a strong connection. As a result, in most cases, games were distributed on physical media such as CDs, and later on, DVDs. This was a huge difference in terms of speed, convenience, and distribution costs.
Still remember these?
Why does this matter? The answer is market accessibility, and it’s one of the factors developers are inclined to look at before even starting the development process. In today’s world, a neighbor’s kid can whip up something in the basement and publish it to the app store in a moment’s notice. Back in the day, being an indie developer was much more complicated. Once again, this is great news for the end-consumer; easier distribution means a bigger pool of gaming titles to choose from.
And it’s hard to complain about having more options. From RPGs and all the way to arcade racing and shoot-em-ups, virtually every genre will give you hours of entertainment, either as a single player experience or as an online multiplayer experience with your friends.
Conclusion
No matter what genre you’re into, the online game marketplace is brimming with gaming titles that won’t disappoint. Since this is a competitive industry, we can expect further innovation down the road, and the future of online gaming looks bright indeed.