Why Your Smartphone Won the Console Wars

Who actually won the console wars? That depends on whom you ask.

Forbes writer Erik Kain claims that Sony won long ago. To back this up, he cites Sony’s robust console sales throughout the years and proclaims that the company “left Microsoft behind from the start.”

Meanwhile, his Forbes colleague Kevin Murnane claims Microsoft has won. He cites Microsoft’s extensive investment in cloud-based technology and believes that if cloud is the future of gaming, Microsoft is the future of cloud.

In truth, both of these perspectives are wrong. The real winner of the console wars is your smartphone and here’s why!

Easy access

For gamers, the biggest convenience of the smartphone is obvious. It offers a surprising amount of gaming power packed into a device that you already own.

Anyone with a smartphone and an internet connection has access to thousands of games at any time. And they don’t need to carry these games around as cartridges or discs — everything is conveniently contained within their phone.

Easy access means more gamers. That’s why 2.2 billion people play mobile games around the world. On top of that, mobile games accounted for half of the gaming market in 2018.

Low cost

One factor that goes hand-in-hand with easy access is low cost. Simply put, anyone with a smartphone can start gaming right away without plunking down a few hundred dollars for a new system.

Many free games are available, which allows people on a budget to still get their game on. Other games generally cost between $5-$10, making them far cheaper than a standard $60 game for your Xbox or PlayStation.

Thanks to things like the “freemium” model (free games that charge for premium features), these games generate major revenue for developers. That’s why mobile gaming revenue is projected to hit $76.7 billion by the end of 2020. In fact, the number may be even higher due to COVID-19 driving unexpected game sales.