Many falsely believe that smartphone games cannot be as good as PC games, due to hardware limitations. That may be true for next-gen AAA titles developed specifically for PC, but in fact, a great number of cross-platform games are becoming available, thanks to advances in mobile technology.
Mobile Games that are As Good as their PC Counterparts
In this article, we’ll highlight some popular mobile games that are not only available on both PC and mobile, but offer almost no contrast in terms of gameplay quality.
Among Us
This 2D mystery party game has become incredibly popular on Twitch streams and memes, with the phrase “pretty sus” becoming viral across the internet. In Among Us, ten players are part of a space crew and must do little routine tasks such as repairing electric wires, emptying the garbage, clearing meteor fields, etc.
However, one player is an “imposter”, and can stealthily sabotage the mission by killing crew members. The other 9 players must determine who the “imposter” is through a process of observance, emergency meetings when bodies are discovered, and voting on who the imposter might be.
If the players vote wrongly, the innocent accused is ejected into space, whereas if the players guess correctly, the game is won. The PC and mobile versions are cross-play compatible, so both platforms can play with each other.
IO Games
IO games, which is a catch-all-phrase for real-time multiplayer games typically played in a web browser or mobile device, have experienced huge popularity in recent times, with numerous titles becoming viral sensations.
Some examples of the most popular io games include titles like Krunker, Slither.io, and Zombs Royale, which can be played identically whether on mobile device or PC web browser.
Thanks to web browser technology, you don’t even need to install the games as apps, you can play them in your smartphone’s web browser in most cases.
PUBG Mobile
There may be some disagreement over how a mobile version of a first-person shooter could be as good as its PC version, but it boils down to PUBG vs PUBG Lite.
The original version of PUBG as played on computers requires fairly strong hardware to run smoothly. The developers created PUBG Lite, a version with reduced graphics for lower end computers, which became immensely popular in Southeast Asia gaming cafes.
This gave the developers the basis for PUBG Mobile games, which is just a version of PUBG Lite further optimized for mobile devices. In fact, in video comparisons of PUBG Lite for PC and PUBG Mobile, the differences are very small.
This allows PUBG Mobile players to have a very fun experience nearly identical to the PUBG Lite version on PC.
Genisha Impact
This anime-inspired, open-world fantasy action game was released for mobile, PC, and consoles, and is crossplay compatible across all platforms. It grossed $60 million in revenue in its first week after launch outside of Asia, which is absolutely remarkable.
Cooperative gameplay is limited to 4 players, which feels small for an open-world exploration RPG, but it features random matchmaking so you can be paired with many different players across regional servers.
The only real difference between platform versions are the control schemes and slight graphic tweaks, but otherwise, the game is easily enjoyed on mobile as much as PC.
Albion Online
This hardcore PvP MMORPG harkens back to the days of Ultima Online and classic RuneScape, where gameplay was generally unforgiving and players killed each other for loot.
It is available on PC and mobile and is cross-platform compatible. It is played as an isometric-camera MMO, with only a few slots for character skills and spells, like what you’d find in an ARPG like Diablo, instead of an entire row of hotkeys like World of Warcraft.
This makes it remarkably easy to play on both mobile and PC, so there’s no challenge in preferring mobile over PC. The real challenge is not being ganked by other players while you’re adventuring.