Mobile games have come a long way since their conception. Many popular PC and console franchises have made versions of their games that keep the same wonderful experience on a mobile smart phone. Mobile games are the most accessible, the most convenient, and arguably the most comfortable. They are contemporary and current. They are the gaming method of now. That much is clear, but what is not quite yet clear is if mobile games have the traction to completely replace game consoles in the long run?

Final Fantasy 16 producer Naoki Yoshida says that 5G will give mobile games enough power to “sign the long-term end” of game consoles, he said in an interview. It does make sense, if mobile games can match the quality of PC and console games, then people will just play the mobile version. The analyst group App Annie reported that mobile game revenue reached about $100 billion last year, which is greater than the revenue of PC and console revenue which was a little above $88 billion per person. 

What we know with today’s gaming services is that they allow you to stream AAA games on mobile. Google Stadia survived, but their library is limited and Xbox news cloud gaming is not yet Struggle Ride iOS, and Nvidia GeForce Now and Amazon Luna are continuing to subtly expanding availability and adding games, but neither is making a big impact.

Overall, there are major obstacles still left to overcome with 5G. But once those obstacles are overcome, it will give mobile games the strength to not only match, but possibly surpass the quality of PC and Console games. Which is only further cementing mobile games’ place on the pyramid of gaming, and cementing their place in the longevity of the world of video games and gaming as a whole.