Wind back the clock several decades and there were a whole host of rudimentary gaming platforms vying for the top spot. Consoles such as the Sega Master System, Atari 2600 and Magnavox Odyssey paved the way for the modern phenomenon of high-class gaming platforms, but the technology wasn’t anywhere near ready enough to cement itself into popular culture. For the kids of the 1980s who can remember these consoles, they’re now nothing more than a fun throwback.
And the reason why? In the 1990s, a new breed of video gaming consoles, spearheaded by the PlayStation, became popular. Nintendo also created the N64 and Game Boy consoles, propelling the gaming industry into a whole new realm. Meanwhile, the evolution of computers and the remarkable success of Windows also made PC games a viable alternative.
Fast-forward to the present day, and the number of gaming platforms has been whittled down to a few main contenders. PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo still rule the roost, although serious gamers are increasingly turning to their PCs to handle the industry’s most advanced games, due to the easier approach to customization regarding graphics cards. But what are the most popular gaming platforms in 2023 and beyond? Keep reading to find out.
While PC gamers have always been plentiful, more and more serious players are turning to this gaming platform nowadays. Next-gen consoles like the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X are immensely powerful, but they still cannot compete with the processing speeds and graphics cards that you can install on a PC.
Of course, a fully-fledged gaming PC can easily set you back over a thousand dollars, but the benefits are numerous. Perhaps the main thing attracting serious gamers to PCs is the capacity to customize your machine. While conventional gaming console users must wait until the next console comes out for a serious hardware update, PC gamers only need to buy the relevant parts and fit them to gain more power.
Mobile gaming has become incredibly popular over the past decade, mainly due to the effect that Apple’s iPhone has had on the mobile gaming environment. Gamers can play all types of games on their mobiles these days, from simplistic, arcade-style options to sophisticated games like Football Manager.
The mobile casino industry is arguably the most impactful development on the mobile gaming platform. LeoVegas New Zealand and other operators have apps filled with mobile-friendly slots and other gambling games offering the same features as desktop options. The graphics can also be clearer due to modern OLED smartphone screens, and with the ability to play on the move, it’s no wonder more players are using the mobile platform.
Sony’s PlayStation is widely regarded as the most famous and impressive gaming platform ever. The PS1, released back in the 1990s, set the blueprint for a powerful and convenient home gaming system with upgraded graphics and controllers.
The PlayStation 5 is the newest iteration on the market, combining haptic feedback controllers with a 4K gaming engine that produces some of the clearest and most realistic graphics available. Just check out games like Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War to see what we mean. Other fantastic examples of the sheer power behind the PlayStation platform include Red Dead Redemption 2 and the new Bethesda game, Starfield.
Microsoft released the first Xbox in the early 2000s as a challenger to the popularity of Sony’s PlayStation. The two consoles have been locked in a seismic tussle ever since, constantly trying to one-up each other with better graphics, processing speeds, controllers and more.
The Xbox Series X was released to much fanfare in November 2020, providing gamers with a full-scale revamp of the immensely popular Xbox 360. With Microsoft currently trying to buy Activision and license their games exclusively to the Xbox platform, we wouldn’t be surprised if Xbox pulls clear of the PlayStation over the coming years.
Nintendo has always been known as a gaming platform designer that does things slightly differently to the norm. This reached its zenith with the Nintendo Wii, the first gaming console to exclusively use motion capture technology for its controllers. The impact was huge, although many gamers eventually reverted to playing on the Xbox and PlayStation due to their better graphics and overall gaming power.
Nintendo replied with the Switch, an innovative blend between the Wii and its handheld Game Boy and DS systems. Players can play on the smaller screen while on the move, or hook the console up to a TV screen and remove the controllers to play with friends. Although it’s not as popular as the new PlayStation or Xbox, it’s undeniably the most creative option.
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