Everyone enjoys gaming in their own way. There are going to be immediate preferences based on the kind of console that you use and the kinds of games that you enjoy, meaning that there’s no straightforward answer to the title question. However, it’s a factor that’s worth bearing in mind. Just as some filmmakers might take issue with their content being compressed onto a smaller screen, it’s worth being aware of how this smaller framework can impact the enjoyment of a game – especially as ports of older games and even current popular titles make the same experiences available on multiple platforms.
The Convenient Balance
Of course, the immediate counter to this argument is that the smaller screen is simply the compromise made for all of the conveniences of mobile gaming. Mobile gaming offers convenience and an easy, portable way of enjoying a huge variety of games. People who are interested in gaming don’t need to buy a whole console to see what all the fuss is about – they can just see what’s available on the app store. Furthermore, some games that are more exclusive to this platform might appeal to mobile audiences in a way that might not be so with console gamers.
For example, you might enjoy online casinos but not consider yourself a gamer – loading up the casino website of your choice and playing whichever games are available there doesn’t require a large screen, and such titles are often designed with this kind of platform in mind.
Clutter and Focus
For mobile audiences that are using this platform as a way to gauge their interest in gaming as a whole, though, this smaller screen might sometimes risk providing a sub-optimal experience. For more modern games that have managed mobile ports, you might not get the exact same experience as you would on a larger screen – with your focus likely being more on the gameplay than the visuals, but even with older role-playing games – like Knights of the Old Republic or Baldur’s Gate 1 & 2 – you might find it difficult to comprehend all of the information on-screen and control what’s happening with the same space. Having these two functions split across the screen and controller or keyboard can be freeing, so it’s worth considering what’s lost if you find that you’re not enjoying a game on mobile that you expected to.
How Important are Visuals?
The topic of newer games ported to mobile does raise the question of visuals, though, and when looking at mobile gaming as a whole, it’s worth asking how important this ultimately is to you as a player. This isn’t to say that mobile games can’t be visually striking, but chances are that if you’re someone who is very interested in the immersive graphical ability that any given game can apply, you’ll be able to get more out of this aspect on a large TV or a more powerful device. However, if you’re someone who is naturally more interested in the mechanical aspects of gameplay, you might find that less is lost in the mobile experience.
