You would be hard-pushed to have missed the ongoing rivalry between Xbox and PlayStation this year; what began with whispers on Twitter about the fast-approaching release of two new, power-hungry consoles trickled through the year, until it culminated in a veritable battle for the top spot in the November drop.

Despite the fact that every new console ushers in a palpable wave of excitement from the gaming community, this year represents a particularly high point for the two tech giants. Along with the greater power offered by this new hardware comes a great deal more potential for game development – and, of course, the gameplay itself. This is accompanied by the new streaming services, which will enable players to refine their gaming habits, and transfer their progress back and forth between mobile and console at their leisure. 

Of course, this news holds a direct bearing on the mobile industry, too. Already, we have seen new devices making their way onto the market – and the emphasis seems to lie squarely within the gaming community. Read more below. 

Mobile and Gaming: An Inimitable Force

While streaming as a service for games is a relatively new addition, the waters have been bubbling for some time in the mobile gaming industry. From small beginnings, the world of casual gaming has been brought to the forefront by no deposit mobile casinos, viral hits like Angry Birds and Among Us, and big name collaborations such as Pokémon Go and Mario Kart Tour, all of which attract millions of players each and every year, from all over the world. 

Now, despite the fact that the new consoles are readying to take centre stage in the gaming community, mobile gaming shows no signs of slowing down. Cloud gaming services further augment the relationship between dedicated gamers – those who would invest $600 in a new console – and their mobiles, as they all seek to take full advantage of their subscriptions. 

A New Wave of Smartphones

While the latest smartphones to drop may not have gone through quite the same spectacle as the Xbox Series X and the PlayStation 5, it would appear that the manufacturer’s priorities are focused on preparing their devices for considerable growth throughout the mobile gaming market. 

From Apple, we have seen the implementation of the A14 Bionic processor in the iPhone 12, which stands head and shoulders above the competition in terms of power and display, and promises an incredibly robust gaming platform. 

From Asus, the design of the ROG Phone 2 – from the internal hardware to the external design – has been guided by the gaming market. From the knockout speakers to the 120Hz refresh rate, this one poses a strong contender to the iPhone in terms of power and performance. 

Not to mention Samsung, which has invested a great deal of resources into optimising the once-failed design of the Z Fold. By altering the industry-standard and folding the phone in half, they are able to offer gamers a much more immersive experience via a 7.6 inch screen (and plenty of internal power to boot).

Of course, smartphone releases are far more commonplace than console drops – and, while highly competitive, this is nowhere near as conspicuous as the ‘war’ we have witnessed between Microsoft and Sony. What we can see, however, is a conscious move toward a shared goal – an understanding of the direction in which the entire gaming industry is moving, and a desire to be the first in line when users take on a new era of gameplay.