According to VentureBeat, 78% of gamers in the US are using their smartphones for gaming rather than their consoles or desktops. The results from this survey are worth noting since the data was taken from a survey of 10,000 gamers across 10 markets around the globe.
Such facts are surprising for avid PC gamers like me. However, of late, I too have been playing games more on my smartphone rather than on my PC. When I analysed my personal gaming habits, I found that I too have spent more time playing quick multiplayer rounds of casual games on my smartphone. At first, I thought that this is a result of my work schedule. But delving deeper, I realised that I do actually play a lot more on my phone compared to the PC.
I also have a PS4 as I cannot resist playing some occasional God of War or Tekken. Nevertheless, my hours of couch gaming are declining with every passing day. For some time now, I have realised that I cannot afford to keep up with the latest in console gaming anymore. It is a sinkhole for my time and money. Perhaps this is why I am so drawn to the statistical insights that are revealed by such surveys about gaming habits. The facts from the VentureBeat survey have little to do with the decisions I made and my personal gaming habits. Nonetheless, it is good to learn some new numbers about the changing trends in gaming.
The survey, to me, says that people are now getting out of their comfort zones. I will definitely admit that innovations in smartphones have nudged gamers like myself to transition from an intensive single-player enthusiast to a multiplayer quickie. Instead of spending too much time on a particular game, I now prefer playing fast multiplayer rounds or turns. In many ways, it is better than sitting for hours and taking on hordes of zombies single-handedly on my PC.
The ease of use can also be a big factor for why gamers change their platforms preferences. Smartphones usually have sufficient graphics to run casual games, and gamers do not have to worry about configuration, LAN connection, graphics settings, sound cards, or fine-tune their devices. Any multiplayer game will either run on your smartphone or it won’t. The same can be said for consoles, but they lose out on mobility and accessibility. Using smartphones is easy and that alone may be the primary reason for such a big transformation in the trend.
