Are Graphics Really King in Gaming?

Given the evolution of video gaming from the simple, straightforward world of Pong to a world where augmented reality is going to become standard (see the next generation of iPhones for reference), and virtual reality technology is going to continue to hit the headlines, you could be forgiven for thinking that questioning whether or not graphics are King is a redundant exercise. Surely, the answer is yes, they are? 

Indeed, a recent article on this very site talked about how PC gaming is starting to make a serious comeback, in part due to the higher quality of graphics available now. In this respect, it may seem even more surprising to think that graphics might not be the primary factor behind iGaming’s majestic rise.

However, that is actually the reality we face, with the world of video gaming dictated by factors like graphics, but also so much more, including the ease of playing, the speed of playing, and the different ways of playing.

Why Do Online Gaming Sites Allow For Good Comparisons?

iGaming and other real-money games allows for strong insights into this argument as it is one of the most competitive sectors of the gaming industry and games can be played across a range of devices, all of which handle graphics differently. Indeed, the battle to be considered amongst the best online casino sites by players and specialist sites alike comes down to more than graphics; it comes down to the quality of the range of games on offer, the ease of play, and also factors like security and the availability of decent customer service.

While some gamer’s ideal iGaming experience may come in the form of a virtual reality casino where they are plugged into their latest Oculus VR headset, with that technology improving all the time, other gamers are keen simply to find a game they can enjoy on their smartphone that is safe to play and has a theme that they can relate to, like Batman or even a wackier, koi carp (to pluck a random example!) theme. 

“Virtual Reality Headset Prototype” by  (CC BY 2.0)

In the latter example, if the graphics of the game happened to be awful, then, of course, the security and ease of playing would probably not be enough to guarantee the popularity of a game, so it is unfair to suggest graphics are irrelevant. However, graphics seem to be a minor part of the whole experience; if you look at the battle between console games and mobile games, you can see that while graphics have an appeal, it is clear that playability (with the pick up and play functionality of the mobile phone) is key and this shines through especially with iGaming.

Looking to the Future

The future of any type of gaming is a difficult thing to predict. However, it is clear that the world of gaming is not about to neglect to put graphics high up the list of priorities. Graphics need to keep up with the times, that’s for sure, but increasingly making sure that security from potential hacks is top notch, and ensuring ease of play across multiple devices all seem to matter to a greater extent to gamers.