Mobile Gaming vs. PC Gaming

Last Updated: October 26, 2022By

Person playing PUBG on smartphone

As a result of the industry’s quick expansion, video games have become one of the most popular types of entertainment worldwide. These days, players can play on various platforms, including mobile devices, gaming consoles, and personal computers.

Each of these platforms is very well-liked among gamers, and players now have access to a diverse selection of games on each of these platforms. Each of these platforms also offers a unique set of benefits and drawbacks.

Mobile Gaming

Mobile gaming is a perfect choice for casual gamers. It allows consumers to play games on the go using their mobile devices. Whether they are waiting in line or just taking a break from work, mobile gaming is quick, fun, and convenient as you always have your smartphone with you.

Advantages of Mobile Gaming

Accessibility

As the name implies, mobile gaming is done on your smartphone, which makes it super convenient, as you can have the best of both worlds.

Unlike a gaming pc or console, you don’t have to boot your system up or have any extra equipment for your experience. Gaming is as easy as taking your smartphone out of your pocket and tapping on the app, which makes it super easy and accessible for everyone.

Cheaper

Unlike a dedicated gaming pc or console, you don’t have to invest much in your mobile gaming equipment.

Mobile games are generally made with all smartphones, so you don’t have to upgrade your device, as you would with a PC, or even get a new one, as you would with a console.

Most mobile games are also free, which further decreases the barrier of entry for new players, and downloading a new game from the store is a no-brainer you don’t have to consider deeply.

Connecting People

Mobile gaming is also an excellent replacement for the more conventional one-on-one get-togethers. Because of their portability and accessibility, mobile gaming has a bigger audience than PC gaming and even console gaming.

Contemporarily the success of games like Fortnite and Player Unknown’s Battle Ground (PUBG) has given more recognition to mobile gaming and access to more people to explore games and play multiplayer.

There are even tournaments organized for mobile gaming with cash prizes, giving more people incentive to play and creating a gaming network. Because of this influence, most of today’s video games are built with portability and versatility in mind.

Bigger Demographic of People

Person playing PUBG on smartphone

One of the main factors contributing to the gaming industry’s success is the developers’ ability to reach a broad audience through a cross-platform strategy. For instance, Fortnite is a multiplayer game for PC, console, and mobile devices.

The to the rapid expansion of the mobile gaming industry, a new kind of device known as a “gaming smartphone” has emerged. “gaming smartphones” are dedicated gaming devices that double as a smartphone; they have more power output, RAM, and battery than traditional flagship smartphones. Some even come equipped with a cooling fan like in a PC.

Disadvantages of Mobile Gaming

Simpler Games

Since mobile phones are multipurpose handheld devices, they do not have the capabilities of a big high-end computer plugged into a power outlet. Their size does not allow them to include huge parts, which limits how good mobile games can get.

Most mobile games today are relatively simpler and can be compared to the games of dedicated gaming consoles a decade back.

Modern PC games have much more complex and require far more power which a mobile phone is incapable of producing. So many contemporary mobile games are relatively simple to make and simple to play with smaller stories and storage requirements.

Degrading Mobile Performance

Since most mobile phones are not dedicated gaming devices, their components are not as robust to handle the performance demanded by more complex mobile games, which is also the reason mobile games are relatively simpler because higher-end mobile games, such as “Life Is Strange” and “Alien: isolation,” are too taxing for a mobile phone’s CPU, GPU, and battery and can wear off your handheld device much quicker.

PC Gaming

Close up of gaming keyboard

PC games are known for their reliability and are the ideal gaming environment for those who are seriously invested in gaming.

PC gaming also provides a great experience and has far more flexibility, as you can customize your pc according to your preferences and the types of games you play.

Multiplayer games have been instrumental in boosting the popularity of the gaming industry as gamers can play across platforms and interact with real people to work together seamlessly.

Advantages of PC Gaming

Graphics

The gaming industry keeps upgrading its graphical capabilities every year, but these major changes can mostly be taken advantage of by utilizing a high-performance PC or dedicated gaming console.

Modern games include weather effects, lighting, particle effects, and real-time rendering called ray tracing, which makes reflecting surfaces look like game-world reflections. Such massive graphics improvements make games more realistic and immersive, bringing them to life.

PC games can look more lifelike and engaging than mobile games because of the PC’s graphic flexibility.

Power

Gaming PC consist of high-end dedicated pieces that work seamlessly as one to produce a smooth gaming experience.

All of these dedicated pieces use far more power and make your computer a powerhouse to fulfill all your virtual needs, and each one of those pieces can be separately upgraded and be multifunctional for tasks other than gaming that require high specifications and power, such as 4K video editing, crypto mining and 3D rendering.

Bigger Gaming Titles

The PC gaming industry has been there far before the mobile gaming industry, meaning it is well-established and dedicated AAA game developers use PC as their go-to for releasing newer titles.

Newer games are now far beyond the old days of the Tetris and Mario brothers. Modern games now convey entire stories that are larger than life and even more real than real life, and these blockbuster games demand the right equipment for them to be utilized and played, and only a PC or newer gaming consoles can provide that.

The quantity and quality of the games released on PC are far greater than those released on mobile devices.

Most of these games require sophisticated technology as they are highly complex and power-consuming for mobile phones to handle, which is why you will never see titles like “God Of War” or “The Last of Us” on mobile devices.

Disadvantages of PC Gaming

Expensive

Building your own video game PC significantly reduces the system’s overall cost. Around $800 is the going rate for a machine with adequate capabilities.

In the long run, the expense of switching to a newer console is reduced thanks to the latest generation, which features consoles that live longer.

Even if you can upgrade for a price lower than a brand-new system, you will still be required to purchase brand-new components after the old system is rendered inoperable.

Occupying Space

Gaming PC setup

A gaming computer is very bulky, especially if compared to a mobile. In addition to having a lot of free space on the table, gamers need to ensure that they have the right space for the keyboard and monitor, unlike a smartphone that can easily fit in your pocket.

These enormous pieces of equipment require a significant amount of upkeep and careful consideration. A gaming computer needs to be cleaned regularly, but the user is also responsible for ensuring that the connections are safe from any unintentional harm.

Conclusion

Despite the gaming industry’s technological advancements, mobile games can still not wholly replace PCs. The sheer power and performance of a dedicated gaming PC can still not be matched by mobile devices or even “gaming smartphones” due to the latter’s lack of power and performance capabilities.

For comparison, the PC with the highest specifications and cutting-edge technology can render and play games at 8K resolution, with real-time ray tracing and 120HZ refresh rate, while the highest-end gaming smartphone struggles even to produce a stable 4K gaming experience, let alone ray tracing.

Therefore, the concept of mobile vs. PC gaming is downright bizarre and a conversation not worth having.