Can smartphones really compete with consoles? Let’s look at the hardware
As we all know, there are lots of different types of gamers out there, but you can’t beat a decent console. Even if you’re a fan of smartphone gaming, coming home to a triple-A game is always a winning way to blow off some stress. That said, however, smartphone tech advancements appear to be taking more than a few notes from our favourite consoles to support bigger and better games.
Your iPhone isn’t just good for Bloons and Geometry Dash, it seems, and Androids also appear to be getting more impressive on the spec front. Let’s take a quick look at some of the most impressive handheld advancements of the past few years, and see how they might take you away from the PS5 for more than five seconds.
Thermal management improvements
Even modern-gen consoles kick up a lot of heat, and the bigger the game, the bigger the energy demand. The same goes for your phone – you might have noticed that, for example, your Android gets a little warm after streaming a few shows or playing the best online slots (which are pretty graphically impressive!). It’s all about energy expenditure, and smartphone developers are keen to keep improving thermal management so that devices can handle more intensive games.
Many modern smartphones lean into liquid cooling, not only to handle more impressive games, but also to cope with the increased stress of processing 5G connections and applications. This, along with ARM technology and clever surface area design, help to keep your device cool when the gameplay gets intense. Naturally, the more you pay for a phone, the more capable it will be with these demands.
An end to latency?
Everyone hates lag, so let’s get that out of the way. 5G advances in smartphone tech have helped our pocket devices to make massive strides in online gaming – meaning that while you might not always expect the hardware performance of your home console, you’ll often stay connected to your party for longer than you’d expect, provided that you’re using a high-end device. The emergence of features such as Auto Low Latency Mode have proven really handy for gaming on the go, though it’s not always recommended leaving it on if you make a lot of video calls.
And, iPhone users should not assume that iOS devices, while faster, are likely to outpace Androids on the latency front. Some studies have shown that Android devices offer 20% lower average latency (44ms vs. 55ms) than their iPhone equivalents, so leaning into non-Apple tech might be the way if you want to get into online gaming via mobile.
UX and UI for small-screen players
Cross-platform gaming has never been bigger thanks to the mobile boom, meaning that with some games, you can log in on one platform and pick up again on your phone while you’re on the go. A big player in responsive gaming thus far has been Epic, with Fortnite available to play across all of its console releases, PC and on mobile.
Naturally, the experience you’ll get from Fortnite on your Xbox isn’t going to be the same as you’d expect from your Android. However, it’s a great example of a game that has adapted its interfaces and experience (UI and UX) to benefit players on smaller screens. It’s never a chore to open up menus, customise or actually start playing, though we would probably recommend that you find yourself an adaptable smartphone gaming controller if you’re keen on first- and third-person titles.
Where does smartphone gaming go from here?
The days of smartphone gaming starting and ending with Angry Birds and Fruit Ninja are far behind us. While plenty of the Nerdly crew prefer PC and console gaming, it’s a great bonus to be able to take some of our favourites on the go if we want to. That said, your own tastes will vary, as will your hardware. If you’re really set on taking your triple-A titles to the smaller screen, you’re going to need to pay a pretty hefty price tag for the best technology. Otherwise, there’s always Switch 2 – it’s entirely your call!
