The Last of Us | Console Gaming
Gaming is arguably in its best era yet with modern hardware pushing graphics, capabilities as well as mechanics further than they’ve ever been. We as modern gamers enjoy some of the greatest masterpieces of all time from the emotionally powerful Last Of Us series to the beautifully epic newest God Of War title. These games are elaborate with their complex narratives, beautifully rendered visuals, and their ability to just create more than ever before. These masterpieces are meant to be enjoyed in your home sitting on your couch playing with your family or from the edge of your bed in the dark hoping that the monster chasing your character isn’t quite as close as it sounds. In that strength lies their flaw which is that they are stationary, you must be sitting down somewhere with a decent chunk of time playing your favorite game. There is another set of benefits that technology has brought gaming going in the other direction. Games can be brought around with you in your pockets, this day and age you can have some of your all-time favorite games with you when you on a lunch break or when you’re waiting in a ridiculous pre-order line because you swear this will be your last limited edition statue becasue you “promised”. Games are more accessible now than ever before with mobile gaming and a more complete experience with consoles. So the question is which is better mobile gaming or console gaming? I know, it’s a difficult question to answer but not to worry I’ve got your back with some pros and cons to help you figure out what’s right for you.
Mobile Gaming
The idea of being able to walk around with your games on your person goes back farther than we can properly verify with people carrying around pocket games for centuries. So naturally, when video games came around the busy world asked the question “But when will I have time to play it”? To answer that question many developers came up with their versions of a solution. Through years and years of development and competition, we have emerged into the new age of gaming. With phones being such an intricate part of our lives now having games integrated into them is quite possibly one of the best innovations for gaming itself. While there are many avid gamers out there who love to sit down and spend their free time trying to save that one NPC who continues to shuffle slowly through zombie-infested areas while alerting every enemy in a three-mile radius the fact is we are a niche group. Mobile gaming allows a whole audience who would have otherwise gone on believing they never had time to pick up some game on an app store that looks fun to them to try out in their few moments of free time. This is great for gaming as more gamers mean more love toward the culture as a whole. Now obviously there are some downsides to mobile gaming, the visuals will never be quite as good as they would be on a console that’s hooked up to a 4k tv. You’re also not usually going to get the most groundbreaking mechanics or stories out of mobile although there are a few exceptions. Certain games also tend to function better on mobile than others for instance the RPGs aren’t the best but strategy games perform quite nicely. Ultimately mobile is most suited for those who are never able to get a big enough chunk of time to sit down with a console or are interested in just quick in and out casual games, you trade power for accessibility with mobile gaming.
Console Gaming
Console gaming’s advantages are quite obvious. Boasting powerful hardware that only gets better as time goes by and producing some of the most beautiful imagery in the art form of gaming console gaming is the happy medium between accessibility and power. No matter what your choice of console is most gamers would agree on the something special you feel stir inside you as you sit in your favorite spot taking your most comfortable position and taking on that “stupid” samurai boss one more time. Console gaming is not only great because it has the power and graphical capabilities to stun even the most talkative of people into pure silence as they see the beauty it has to offer but also great because it has a bit of a ritualistic quality to it. There is something relaxing about turning on your console seeing that familiar startup screen and hearing those same comforting sounds that always greet you as you get ready to embark on whatever journey you’re taking. Console gaming pros are its powerful hardware an graphical capabilities along with its ritualistic nature, being an experience that cant be gained through mere gaming alone. Consoles also have some of the best games in the industry and are a must for a gamer who has any interest in deep narrative or cinematic experiences. Console gaming cons are its time constraints because without a hefty chunk of time to devote to playing your system it can end up collecting dust as you struggle to find time to enjoy it. So if you have very little time or are just interested in some quick arcade-like casual play then mobile gaming is for you and if you’re more looking for a cinematic experience or have enough time to tackle a 50-hour game then the console is for you.