Let the games begin: PCs, consoles, mobile race to win players

What about these devices affect gamers' buying choices and which one is to source?

The PC versus console war is still on after decades. Players are always debating on which is better for the ultimate gaming experience. With mobile gaming on smartphones and tablets on the rise, it's now a five-way battle.

Why are gamers choosing or not a fan of the desktop PC and laptop, console, smartphone and tablet? There are pros and cons for the said devices which importers can consider when selecting the product to source.

Desktop PC and laptop

PCs and laptops are seen as better than consoles because they can be built to handle heavy graphics and -storage games. A tech-savvy gamer can choose his or her own graphics and memory cards, coolers, and even the look of the CPU and the other hardware. PCs have a slight advantage, though, compared to battery-powered gaming laptops because they can be always on as long as plugged in.

The con of desktop PCs and laptops for gaming is that they are more expensive than consoles. The best gaming PCs can be more than half the price of the current popular consoles.

Console

Consoles, such as the PS4 and Xbox One or One X, are preferred by players over desktop PCs because they are less expensive than building a gaming desktop PC. They also have exclusive titles that aren't released for the other platforms.

Consoles are also poised to get better soon in terms of graphics and gameplay smoothness. That's the goal of the upcoming and teased PS5 from Sony and XBox Scarlett by Microsoft. From 4K resolution, future consoles are expected to deliver 8K and are more than 10 percent better in performance than the latest models today.

As for the disadvantage, it is a big size and the mainstream units can easily be outdated. The top consoles of today that run high-graphics games are not portable unless they are made into the size of the hand like the Nintendo Switch. For the second point, an example is the transition of PS4 to PS5, once the latter is released; there won't be many new games for the older one. Hence, if new exclusive titles are wanted, gamers must also switch to the upcoming console.

Smartphone and tablet

Mobile is the new big trend in casual gaming and eSports. This is because players love portability. Mobile games are played by all age groups, including the pros, anywhere on a smartphone or tablet. In fact, gaming capabilities are already one of the deciding factors in buying the said gadgets. It is common to find in YouTube, for instance, gaming reviews on the latest mobile tech.

The con is that despite there are plenty games for the mobile phone and tablet, there are only a few that can be compared to console and PC resolution and gameplay quality. Still the dominant categories in mobile gaming are platformer and casual games. For certain sports games first to appear in other platforms, many have the same graphics as what was on the console or PC version about three years ago.

Considering buyer segments and demographics, and the pros and cons stated previously will help the importer. PCs and laptops are the must-source for the high-end gaming market. In the midrange segment, consoles are definitely popular. Smartphones and tablets, on the other hand, appeal to gamers of all ages.

The gallery below features gaming products from Asia suppliers.