Game ports have been popular for a long time, and console ports have always been a pretty unthreatening choice, as the Xbox and PlayStation generations are now powerful enough to handle PC gaming without too many changes. But mobile and switching ports they always replied, “yes, but it probably won’t be good.” Which is quite understandable, we have been burned in the past and if we were a little hesitant, you can’t blame us entirely.
However, with the sheer volume of recent games hitting both mobile and Switch, it seems like mobile ports are finally starting to be taken seriously. Gone are the days of LAN parties and long waits for something to download, and with technology rushing forward at breakneck speed, you can now have some of the world’s best games right in the palm of your hand.
Total revenue for the entire gaming industry in 2023 was an estimated $136 billion, with mobile gaming alone accounting for 49% of that figure, with revenue coming in at a truly staggering $92 billion. That’s just mobile gaming, let alone the Nintendo Switch and other handheld gaming consoles, but it’s still somewhat of a surprise that handheld gaming can actually be this good. Well, we know this may be the case, and it seems that developers are finally starting to realize it as more and more games are ported to mobile devices.
Take Dark and Darker for example. Even in the face of a somewhat controversial lawsuit, Ironmace loaned the dungeon-exploring game to PUBG Mobile publisher Krafton, and we had the pleasure of getting a taste of Dark and Darker Mobile when we visited Krafton’s offices in South Korea earlier this year. Dark and Darker is a massively multiplayer online game with punishing PvPvE mechanics and the ability to choose from several different classes, each with different abilities and skills. It’s a monster of a game, and yet Krafton has absolutely ported it to mobile devices. In fact, it worked so well that we put DNDM on our list of novel mobile games to check out next year.
Of course, there are certain types of games that run easily on mobile devices. Card games have always been a hit on mobile devices and the Switch, with Balatro winning Best Mobile Game at The Game Awards 2024. It’s also no surprise that Pokémon TCG Pocket has amassed over 60 million downloads since its launch, with games like Hearthstone, Gwent from The Witcher 3 and Slay The Spire have found a very comfortable place on portable game consoles.
Of course, not all ports are worth singing about. There are a few games that just didn’t perform well on mobile (we’re looking at you with a still very, very disappointed look on your face, Mortal Kombat 1). WWE 2K18 was the only time a wrestling franchise tried to break into mobile gaming, and it was such a monumental failure that the IP simply hasn’t bothered with it since. We appreciate the effort, but we understand that there are some titles, especially huge AAA games, that require a lot of work even on an optimized PC that are simply not suitable for mobile devices or the Switch.
Games like 2020’s The Outer Worlds are a great example of a game that was made solely for decent PC hardware, and with such a shoddy Switch port, it was obvious that this was only done to perhaps get a little more revenue in bank. Despite how far technology has come in the gaming industry, there are still only a constrained number of games that can port well.
However, it seems that the industry is starting to realize how good mobile games can be. Some developers actually create games with all consoles in mind from the beginning, rather than just creating the original PC version with good intentions to run on all devices at some point in the future. We recently interviewed Gori: Cuddly Carnage’s John Kalderon, CEO of developer Angry Demon, to discuss how it went with launching Whacky Kitty hack ‘n’ slash from day one on every console, including the Switch, and how that in turn impacted on the development process. If indie studios can do it and do it relatively well, there’s no reason why other larger game developers couldn’t take it into consideration.
Maybe that’s why we’re seeing such an influx of really good ports. Mobile gaming occupies a huge space in the industry, both in terms of player numbers and profits, and honestly, we’re still surprised that it seems so divided. Mobile gaming is quietly dominating the numbers, with PUBG Mobile being a prime example. The mobile port of one of the Battle Royale OG games remains one of the most watched esports in the world, as we discussed in detail in an interview with James Yang, senior director of global esports at Level Infinite.
There’s also a fair argument to be made that companies outside of the gaming industry initially noticed how good mobile gaming was. Netflix Games emerged as a fully realized platform back in 2021 and has given us some truly great mobile ports, such as the sturdy roguelike Hades and the absolute nostalgia kick GTA: San Andreas. Who doesn’t want to drive around Los Santos while sitting at the airport waiting for a flight? Who doesn’t want to flirt with Megaera in Hades when you’re stuck on a bus or away from your normal gaming rig? When ports are done well, it proves to the entire industry that mobile gaming is amazing.
So slowly but surely it will get there. Most gamers may still look at mobile games with a slightly wrinkled nose and expect a million and one microtransactions, and we understand why. But if you’re willing to give it a shot and hop on a few rounds of PUBG Mobile to chase down a winner, a winner, a chicken dinner on the go, or take a journey through the Underworld with Zagreus of Hades, you’ll see how useful the mobile ports can be.
