Droid Rage: Does Android Gaming Stack Up To The Console Experience?

You'll be amazed at how far the little green robot has come.

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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Games belong on consoles and talking belongs on phones right?  However, if technology has taught us anything it is that worlds can and often do collide. Yet that collision can be dynamic or destructive.  With the Android operating system boasting a mighty presence on the mobile juggernaut Galaxy S3, the question is posed: does Android gaming (AG) stack up to the console and handheld experience?

Before the answer to that question, AG should be defined. Android gaming is essentially playing video games on an Android operating system. Android’s operating system, also known as Droid OS, comes in versions with the latest known as “Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS.)” 

Droid gaming on the S3 is surprisingly competitive with handheld gaming devices and even with consoles.  On the Samsung’s hardware platform, three games which required extensive graphic support (Dead Trigger, Castles of Shadow and Six Guns) performed without stagger, delay, clipping (graphics moving through one another) or frame refresh issues. 

There are major benefits to AG. Droid gaming on a mobile device offers flexibility and usability that consoles cannot produce and handhelds are struggling to attain. For example, on a family vacation or road trip, the phone could be handed back to children for gaming while mom and dad drive.  While waiting for phone calls in a doctor’s office, one can play graphic heavy RPGs (Role Playing Games), first person shooters and more.

While there are few disadvantages to Android gaming, the two that stick out the most would be the hardware requirements and the library of games. The benefit of console gaming is that the Xbox 360 and PS3 have remained relatively unchanged for years. For this piece, the Samsung S3 was available and allowed for unexpectedly impressive gaming. However, on older phones with droid, gaming may be a much different experience. Secondly, the library of games is small when compared to the arsenals of titles available on consoles and handhelds. This is to be expected with new hardware and software – they should catch up in time.

Recommendations for AG would include the following:

The Samsung Galaxy S3 boasts some healthy architecture that benefits gaming. It has a 4.8 inch HD Super AMOLED 720 display for very crisp graphics. There's 16 to 32 GB of storage, 1 GB of RAM and allows for expansion of up to 64 GB via a microSD card. Finally, the quad-core processor design created real-time effects in gameplay.

Does Android gaming stand up?  The answer is a surprising yes. The Android OS sitting on the right hardware platform will give hardcore players more than electric sheep to dream about.

For the purpose of this experiment and editorial, android gaming was tested on the Samsung Galaxy S3 on the T-Mobile network. 

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