Buffing up the gaming experience for young mobile users and how 5G will enhance it

And as India gears up to cross over to the big leagues, to become one of the top 3 gaming markets globally, it is imperative to understand the magic equation to capture the pulse.

As smartphones have evolved, so has the nature of games with first-person shooters, adventure, fighting games. The plan is to be future-ready. (HT Tech)

We all remember that moment in time in 2009 when a certain game called Angry Birds stormed onto our smartphone screens with vivid gameplay and highly entertaining touch and gesture controls. At a time when smartphones were increasingly penetrating Indian households, Angry Birds could not have come at a better time! It stoked the fancy of thousands of smartphone users and gamers in the country, getting them hooked to the mobile gaming phenomenon.

As smartphones have evolved, so has the nature of games with first-person shooters, adventure, fighting games, and so on! The preferences of young mobile gamers have become much more fine-tuned as well. And as India gears up to cross over to the big leagues, to become one of the top 3 gaming markets globally, it is imperative to understand the magic equation to capture their pulse.

Better, faster, stronger is the updated hardware credo 

A lot of triple-A titles with large production budgets, such as Assassins Creed, Call of Duty, etc bring console-quality graphics, immersive audio design, and complex gameplay to the smartphone platform. A smooth, lag-free, gaming experience is the priority for a mobile gamer. Superior octa-core processors that clock up to 2.4 GHz speed meet the challenge of complex computations and mechanics, ensure that users reach peak performance while gaming. Cutting-edge chipsets go a long way in withstanding intensive gaming sessions, with drastically improved CPU performance, faster graphics, and reduced power consumption.

Safety is a much-needed area that cannot be sacrificed for the sake of the thrill

This is why manufacturers are also investing in processors with thermal sensors, carbon fiber cooling, as well as cooling kit accessories. And the worst nightmare of any gamer is the poor battery which makes the phone suddenly drop dead in an adrenaline-charged moment. With flash charging technologies spanning 30W to 65W, gamers can get their smartphones juiced up in a matter of minutes!

OEMs are also levelling up, with better features across price segments 

While a 90Hz display may seem enough for an average smartphone surfer, gamers demand more sophisticated ultra-high refresh rates with a fast-touch response. Simply put, refresh rate implies the number of times the frames get updated in a second. A smartphone with specs of 120 Hz and above is in high demand as this gives the viewer a chance to feast on more updated content. Frequent touch response is also key for any gamer as delay in processing input has a high chance of ruining the experience. Higher the touch response rate, the more responsive is the touch sensor! So look out for spec sheets that offer sampling rates above 120 Hz!

A truly immersive experience is incomplete without sharp, vivid, crisp textures 

Full HD Display with a maximum screen to body ratio, coupled with peak brightness for full visibility under any lighting conditions will dominate player preferences. Top-notch features are not just the prerogative of premium price points anymore. With mass adoption, these features have been democratized across wider segments to quench the need of millions of eager gamers.

From 2009 to 2021, India, as a mobile gaming market, has traveled a long, upward road to prominence. As per industry reports, India is one of the five largest mobile gaming regions in the world. And it topped the global market in terms of game downloads in the first nine months of CY2020. Things are going to get much more exciting as 5G networks, cloud gaming, augmented and virtual reality get set to give us a turbo-charged experience in the future. I am quite thrilled to be on the ride. The question is - are you?

This article has been written by Madhav Sheth - Vice President, Realme and Chief Executive Officer, Realme India & Europe.