How Mobile Phone Games Are Becoming More Immersive

Games have always been part of mobile phones, with even the earliest devices helping popularise gaming on portable communication devices. The smartphone revolution has really changed things, though, and now mobile games are as big and immersive as their console rivals. Here are some ways mobile phone gaming is becoming more immersive.

More Power

Mobile phones have been powerful enough for gaming, in one form or another, for a long time now. There has always been space for some specially made games, as well as access to online flash games, plus mobile casinos  that allow you to gamble on the go, in addition to several other exciting online experiences. The difference now, though, is that rather than being powerful enough to play games, they are powerful because they are designed to play games. The highest-spec mobile phones are no longer weak performers; graphics are comparable to the top consoles, high-quality displays increase immersion, there’s the sort of combination of hardware and software that you’d expect from a console, and players don’t even have to worry about their phones overheating. This has helped mobile gaming take a step up.

Improved Controls

There was a time when playing a mobile version of a console or PC game could feel somewhat fiddly. Having to use a touchscreen after using a game controller could be awkward. Now, though, players have options. There are thousands of mobile phone game controllers, but touch controls have improved and become more intuitive, while the devices themselves have become a lot more comfortable to hold. Like console games, mobile games can now support longer play sessions, whereas they had previously been suitable only for quick bursts of play, again promoting immersion.

Better Audio

There has always been a certain type of mobile game that has, in terms of both graphics and gameplay, punched above its weight somewhat, but there was usually one thing holding games back, and that was audio. There seemed to be only so much a developer could do with a mobile phone’s sound capabilities. That has changed, though. Modern phones can now create soundscapes which can let a player know where a sound is being made. Again, this kind of sound design is a crucial, but often overlooked, part of the most successful console games, and now it’s happening on mobile phones. Better yet, as more people demand better audio in future generations of mobiles, the future becomes incredibly interesting and immersive.

Expanded Worlds

Early smartphone gaming was designed around rather siloed games, which often featured a series of individual levels. While there were clearly plenty of takers – Angry Birds’ creators netted more than $150 million as far back as 2012 – there was also a feeling that mobile gaming wasn’t exactly serious. Fast forward to now, though, and there’s been a change in how mobile games are designed. There is now greater parity with console hits, and a big part of that comes from larger games. You are now as likely to find a top-rated game operating something close to an open world as you are to find it featuring individual levels. This means that games are more involved and, therefore, more immersive.

Design Choices

Perhaps the most significant way mobile gaming is becoming more immersive and console-like is that developers are consciously making the games more immersive. Games are now developed story-first, allowing players to make meaningful choices and explore freely. Pacing is now a bit slower as players get used to the game’s world and its mechanics. All these features are helping the mobile games market, valued at nearly $140 billion, really step up and match the traditional video game market.