If you’re not a hardcore gamer, when was the last time you held a console? A week ago? A month? Or maybe even a year? That’s my point. While the consoles are great for highly immersive gaming sessions, gaming on your smartphone is simple – just pull out your phone, run the game, and enjoy an ice cream while playing if you’d like. You don’t have that liberty with the consoles.
I am not saying that they are turning trash; I am just saying that for non-hardcore gamers, mobile gaming is more than satisfactory. And I will explain why in detail. So, join me as I unfold this opinion with which you have full liberty to disagree.
Enough Power in New Smartphones
I get it, your Nintendo Switch has enough power, but modern smartphones aren’t far behind in power—in fact, they are better in some cases.
Let’s take the latest Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra and the iPhone 16 Pro Max as examples. They are among the most powerful devices you can buy today.
These latest smartphones are powered by one of Qualcomm’s or Apple’s best chipsets. When games are processed via these processors, users get a seamless gaming experience, eliminating the need for a dedicated handheld gaming console.
I am saying this because I have experienced them side-by-side. My son had a Nintendo Switch, and I had my OnePlus 13. We played the same games on both devices. The result?
My phone let out more frames per second, smoothing the gaming experience. Part of the reason for such a great gaming experience on mobile phones was my high-speed home WiFi from Spectrum. It is one of the best internet providers in the US, with reliable Spectrum customer service that helps users find the right internet plan for gaming.
Nintendo Switch was fine, too, but my point is that you might not even need a handheld gaming console to enjoy gaming.
Cloud Technology Enhances Mobile Phones
Another technology that hits the handheld gaming console industry is cloud computing.
My OnePlus 13 might be sufficient to play any game, but not every phone is that powerful. The solution is cloud computing.
Let me help you understand the cloud technology first; then, we can discuss the details.
Cloud computing is basically computing on a cloud. That cloud is a server that is placed in a different location. This helps with smartphones that don’t have great processing power. They can reap the benefits of super processing power when the processing isn’t even done natively. But there is a catch – you need high-speed internet to fully utilize the benefits of cloud computing.
Why? Even though the processing is done elsewhere, the devices must fetch the results, meaning you need high-speed internet.
Anyway, cloud technology will help the mobile gaming industry, provided the internet infrastructure is solid enough. Smartphones with weak in-house processing power will be able to utilize cloud technology to the maximum.
Less Costly and Checks (Almost) All the Boxes
I get that the gaming experience on those hard-touch buttons is excellent, but that costs you more.
Through mobile gaming, you can play all those excellent games without ever needing to hold a gaming console. It also checks all the boxes.
The modern smartphones and the games on them have become more immersive. The movement of the controls sometimes gives you haptic feedback, the displays have become bigger, giving players a better experience, and the power is enough to provide you with a seamless experience. And the best part is that you don’t need to pay extra when playing games.
More Convenient in Use
Last but not least, playing and keeping games on your smartphone is easy.
The display of a portable gaming console is around 7 inches. Smartphones have become big enough to offer the same size display, but keeping them in your pocket is easy. On the other hand, if you are trying to keep your PSP in your pocket, its buttons might poke you, making it uncomfortable.
Lastly, you can play games on your phone at any time of the day and anywhere. Just pull it out of your pocket, unlock it, tap the game you want to play, and that’s it. It’s that simple.
From the above-mentioned points, I am confident that handheld gaming consoles are no longer needed when you can play all your favorite games on your mobile phones, anytime, from anywhere.