The ‘golden era’ of gaming – It feels good doesn’t it? We’ve got more options than ever before. The next gen consoles have taken gaming to another level, whilst technology is developing quicker than a Koenigsegg Agera in Need For Speed Rivals.
We’ve already seen the rise of the smartphone and tablet over the last few years. We’ve seen PC gaming become even better. Steam machines are also on the horizon. But with the constant improvement of our gaming technology, are all areas going to be able to survive.
There has already been a fall in handheld console gaming with consumers opting for the iPhone and iPad, but with iOS devices now being controller compatible, are consoles going to be next on Apple’s hit-list?
Since the Californian company announced official controller support as part of iOS 7, there has been plenty of talk as to whether it could have a big impact on the home entertainment industry, especially with graphics on the iPad becoming just as superior as some games on the likes of the Xbox and PlayStation.
So far there hasn’t been a large amount of manufacturers that have looked to benefit from the support, with only the likes of SteelSeries Stratus and Logitech PowerShell really showing any signs of being major players in the market.
But that isn’t to say they won’t take off. Smartphone and tablet gaming has already swept aside handheld consoling with the PS Vita’s sales being nothing close to what Sony had originally hoped for. The new controllers will no doubt damage that industry further, and there’s a possibility it could start to dent PS4 sales.
One of the main reasons for that could well be price. Of course the PlayStation and Xbox consoles are a considerable amount more than the iPad, whilst when it comes to games, there really is no comparison.
Games in the App Store are often free with as many making of those making up the top 50 apps on a weekly basis, and for many of them, the quality is extremely high. Of course, not nearly as high, but when you’re downloading FIFA 2014 for free in the App Store, compared to £40 for the PlayStation 4, it’s bound to turn a few heads.
And you’re not limited to just the App Store. The chance to play online means variety is aplenty. The ability to play online games via Facebook and web apps will no doubt push mobile gaming a little closer to consoles, whilst the availability of the entire web, with sites such as Europalace, shows a diversity that consoles simply can’t compete with.
However, there’s one aspect that will always separate the two platforms, mobility. It’s the reason the smartphone and tablet has ousted handheld consoling. It’s easy to choose one or the other. The multi-functions and new controllers make them a much more viable option, but even with a console-like controller, and games at a fraction of the price, can tablets better the experience of sitting in front of a large flat-screen TV, with a true home-entertainment experience? The simple answer is, unlikely.
