What You Should Get If You Like To Game On The Go

One of the greatest occurrences of our time in the consumer world is how Hollywood has been eclipsed by the video game industry. Maybe eclipsed isn’t strong enough a word, perhaps obliterated is much better. Right now in 2018 Hollywood is raking in a total of around $50 billion a year.

Each year this increases as more and more people become Netflix customers and many more people begin to return to the movie theatre again. However, with around 2.3 billion gamers all around the world, the video game industry now in 2018 is pulling in $137 billion a year. This is set to increase even further.

The thing is, the video game industry’s revenue is set to increase much more quickly than anything Hollywood can muster because of one market that is going hand in hand with new technology. Gaming on the go has become more than just something to pass the time.

With games that involve thinking, sharp reactions and consistency, the old snake and Tetris games now look old hat. Smartphones have become one of the main reasons why gaming on the move has become so profitable to the point that everyone wants a piece of it.

If you would like to be a gamer that keeps their skills sharp while on the commute or on travels, what should you get? There is a myriad of options, both in the expensive and affordable categories. It really depends on your reasoning for gaming.

PlayStation Vita Vs. Nintendo Switch

For a long time Nintendo had become stale and Sony had clawed back some of its lost territory in the ‘backpack’ portable gaming console. The Nintendo GameBoy has a special place in many gamers hearts but the next iteration wasn’t as mesmerising.

The Nintendo 2DS was a little lacklustre. It had two screens but they were relatively small and the buttons were small also. The weight of the console wasn’t something to write home about either. Consequently the designers had to do something the next time around that would make up for it as the PlayStation PSP had easily overtaken the 2DS in just about every department. The Nintendo 3DS came out which was basically just a larger version of its older brother. Again there was a lot to be desired. Then the next generation of portable consoles came out and they are locked in a battle that seems like Nintendo are winning.

The PlayStation Vita was released in 2011 and although it is seven years old, it’s still impressive in some ways. The graphics are great but the processing speed is not. The frames per second leave a lot to be desired and the hardware has served the console well but everyone and their grandmother knows it’s time for something new.

The Vita’s lifespan is expected to come to an end in 2019 but if you want something that’s more affordable this is still the console for you. However released in 2017 the Nintendo Switch has become the A-list celebrity in the world of gaming on the go. Comparing the performance between the two, it’s easy to see that the Vita is no longer able to compete when it comes to the best of the best in graphics, gameplay, fps, display quality, ease of use, size and weight.

For the casual gamer

It’s fair to say that nowhere near as many people will buy a portable console as they will a smartphone. The hardware of modern smartphones is such that playing games on the go has become incredibly easy and fun. The two big hitters in the smartphone sector of the technology industry are of course Samsung and Apple.

Both of their smartphones are supposed to be the jack of all trades as they are intended for everyday use. However, then you have the smartphones that are dedicated purely for gaming such as the Razor models. These phones know that, just like older portable consoles, the main issue for gaming on the go is frames per second. Processing power is at the heart of this concern and ambition and if you’re looking purely for gaming then the Razor phone is the best. Beating out both the Samsung S9 and the Apple iPhone Xs is the Samsung Note 9.

The key for gaming on the go is being connected, otherwise you’re gaming on your own and not taking advantage of interacting with others around the world. However the struggle of paying for data becomes evident as many networks don’t have good enough deals for people who want to use large amounts of data.

Thankfully there are networks that are ahead of the jump and know that cheap data, as well as a flexible contract, is something gaming on the go needs to push towards. This mobile network is growing quickly and for good reason. All three of their deals have unlimited text and calls attached to them but they go up in size of data available.

The smallest is 2GB a month for just £7.50. The medium deal is 4GB for £10 a month and the largest is a massive 8GB for just £15 a month. Out of 1,500 reviews the network has garnered a 5-star excellent reputation thanks to its models and approach to the flexibility for gamers and hardcore data users.

‘Real’ gaming connecting with smartphones

Honestly, one of the main reasons why gaming on the move is getting a new boost of games, developers and focus on both the technology industry and gaming industry is because of the new bridge. A certain game type has created this bridge and brought with it the same model that is used in real gaming.

PC games specialising in the new battle royale scene have became available for your smartphone. The two biggest titles being PUBG and Fortnite. You can play these games while on the train going to work, on the way home, pretty much anywhere in the world at any given time. As long as you have a connection you can play online among millions of other players. The system of small item purchases is incredibly successful on smartphone platforms especially.

This system is designed so that little improvement and items such as guns, clothing, food, better character traits and so on can be purchased in the in-game store. These items will then help the player and improve their chances to come out on top and be victorious.

Studies have found that if the items are kept to a small price, gamers are more likely to buy them using their smartphones than they would be if they were playing on PC in the comfort of their own homes. There are multiple reasons for this but mainly because on smartphone it’s more difficult to play as the controls are clunky and the screen is not as large. Yet people who care about the game and need that fix, will then play on their smartphones while away from their PCs. Rather than lose they might opt to buy in-game items and thus it becomes a real money-maker for the companies.

Just a little bit bigger

Okay, gaming on smartphones won’t be for everyone. Maybe they just can’t get into it because its too small and fiddly or they don’t have a smartphone that has a large enough battery to get a couple of hours in. The next best thing is to buy a gaming tablet. There are of course different kinds of tablets because ultimately they were designed for being portable little laptops without the keyboard attached. Hence why they have always been designed for working. However because they are also touchscreen it’s easy to adapt them for gaming.

The best gaming tablet may indeed come from Apple as the iPad Pro has a very fast processor. Weighing under half a kilogram at 465g, it has a large 8000mAh battery. This means that the tablet is easily going to last you an entire day of gaming. However, since it is iOS, you can expect to play games that are vibrant, fast and involve a lot of 3D animations.

You’ll be able to tilt the tablet to add to your gameplay and move whatever can be adjusted in the game this way. The ProMotion dynamic keeps the frame rate of both movies and games high as possible so they run flawlessly. The awesome thing is that the iPad Pro is more affordable than the new Apple smartphone at around just half of the price at most retailers. It’s officially the most powerful tablet ever created and the AMOLED display is one of the best features it has.

Today there are so many options for anyone that wants to game on the go. PC games and other console games are making their debuts on smartphones. This means that you need plenty of data to burn and at an affordable price too. Only a few companies can offer this kind of flexible service though. Portable consoles have gone through major transformations but the back and forth battle between Sony and Nintendo has never been hotter. Right now the Vita is on the way out and the Switch is wearing the crown.