Mobile Gaming vs PC: Which is the Best for Future Gaming?

For many years, PC gaming represented the peak of gaming technology. There was no device more powerful than a PC, and home consoles were considered inferior in terms of hardware composition and software compatibility. Fast forward a few years, and home consoles are just as capable as PCs, with all the bells and whistles you'd expect from a high-end gaming station.

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Then, mobile gaming comes along, completely transforming the power dynamic once again. Now you can play nearly any game on the go, whether it's the latest racing games or future soccer games, and most of them have little to no reduction in the quality of presentation. So, the question is, which platform is the best option for high-quality entertainment?

The answer relies on preference more than anything else, as all forms of gaming have become worthy avenues for premium interactive entertainment. It all depends on what you enjoy and how you prefer to get your kicks - if we can call it that.

Let's take a closer look at the benefits and drawbacks of mobile vs PC gaming and see if we can figure out which platform is best for you. The only way to know for sure is to inform yourself about both options as much as possible, beginning with the technology that drives these platforms.

Tech comparison

Despite how advanced our smartphones and consoles have become, there are still limitations as to how far we can go with mobile tech. For example, the latest graphics cards are far too large to fit inside handheld devices, and the same can be said for multiple pieces of hardware, such as processors, motherboards, and high-resolution screens.

For now, the technical capabilities of PCs far outweigh those of mobile devices. However, it's worth noting that the rate of progress of mobile tech has been exponential, and microchips are getting smaller and more powerful with each passing generation.

There's no denying how popular mobile games have become. The mobile gaming industry is the biggest entertainment market in the world, raking in billions of dollars in global revenue every year. Clearly, many gamers prefer the conveniences of mobile gaming, but that doesn't mean the PC market is any less relevant.

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Customization

Aside from the benefit of mobility, there isn't much else that puts mobile devices ahead of PCs. For starters, PCs are more customizable, with hundreds, if not thousands, of possible hardware combinations. In comparison, mobile devices come in a handful of different models, and there's usually no way to upgrade them when new tech comes along.

Instead, you have to buy a completely new device, and the rising costs for these úpgrades' can be hard to keep up with. What's more, some generations only have incremental improvements, so it's quite common for mobile gamers to skip at least a generation or two of new models.

While the same can be said for PC gamers, they don't have to purchase an entirely new setup to get a major upgrade. With a new graphics card or some upgraded memory, an old PC can be transformed into a current-gen platform and still retain some of the older elements of the system.

Preference in terms of peripherals is another area where PC users reap the most benefits. You can use any form of control that you wish on a PC, but the same can't be said for mobile devices. You can use joysticks, steering wheels, and any other peripherals you can think of, most of which don't allow for much mobility.

Once again, mobility is the deciding factor, which is the prevailing pattern that runs through all comparisons between PC and mobile gaming. As you can see, the type of gaming you prefer depends on your lifestyle and gaming habits, and that precedent isn't likely to change any time soon.

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Convenience vs capability

Do you want a full-blown gaming PC that can handle all the latest games at their highest resolution? Or is it more important for you to have a device that can be carried with you while you're on the move?

Are you content with a lack of processing power and technical capability if it means that you don't have to sit in one place to enjoy your favorite games? Why not take advantage of both platforms, and enjoy the best of both worlds?

That brings in the question of affordability, which tends to be a deciding factor for most people. Ultimately, choosing which type of device is right for you will depend on cost and usage requirements. Mobile gaming is clearly the preference for most gamers, but there's no way to know if mobile tech can keep up with, let alone surpass, the capabilities of PC hardware in the future.

Marvin Fry

Update 08 July 2022