Now far more powerful than the computers many of us grew up with, modern smartphones are underappreciated powerhouses. Though we can tend to underestimate the humble pocket-sized devices, there are areas, such as gaming, where their potential shines. Pushed to their limits, the best modern mobiles are capable of amazing feats, only lacking when compared to their larger PC and console cousins. With modern streaming solutions, however, mobiles could be poised for a new position of power.
The goal of gaming production
Evolving interactive entertainment has a few main goals, generally centred on better looks, engaging gameplay, and smoother performance. At the cutting edge of video gaming, the new consoles and powerful PCs work to accomplish these goals, but in other forms of entertainment, even less-powerful devices like mobiles easily keep track.
Perhaps the most illustrative example of this in action comes online casinos. For an example of this, check this out for a modern listing of online pokies website ratings, and their bonuses. From the outset, these ideas draw in users, then the games hit their strides. Even on a modest device, these new slots have the best looks available, play well on almost any system, and run without hitches. Though slots indeed have lower requirements than traditional PC and console games, this still indicates the goal to which perfect mobile gaming aspires.
Problems and solutions
The problem with this idea comes from the hardware of mobiles. While control can be solved through external solutions like gamepads, mobile performance cannot feasibly reach console or PC levels with AAA titles. At least, this is when games are run directly through the device. When incorporating streaming systems, these limitations are nearly eliminated.
By first running the calculations through more powerful devices, then streaming games to mobiles, performance can reach far greater heights. Combined with greater 4G and 5G coverage, and the possibilities for mobile to engage with AAA titles is better than ever before. This does, however, introduce one further issue of latency, but even this is not insurmountable.
Latency, or the amount of time it takes a signal to take a round trip, is a killer in certain games. While not an issue in turn-based titles, its effect on fast-paced games can make them feel like you’re disconnected from the entire experience. This is a problem faced by even the biggest names in game streaming like Microsoft’s Project xCloud and Google’s Stadia.
The solution to this problem comes not from larger services, but rather your own gaming devices. Instead of relying on a distance server to relay information, users can instead stream from their personal PCs and consoles. If playing when out and about in your own city, this would vastly lower latency, and vastly improve streaming playability. In other words, via this method, the limits of game streaming are rapidly being overcome.
As for how realistic it can be to utilise personal game streaming systems, the solution can be quite simple. For PC users, the program Parsec has been making waves for this very purpose, even across greater distances than just a city. For consoles, Xbox and PlayStation Remote Play offer similar advantages, though need some more work before they’re up to Parsec’s level.
Ultimately, all of these modern systems illustrate an immense potential that is so far largely untapped. Sure, mobiles may not be able to natively host the biggest games in the world, but with a little work, they could still be many player’s preferred avenues of engagement.
Photograph by Carlos R