Mobile Gaming – techbloggingfool.com

Like a lot of people, I picked up APEX Legends after playing the Titanfall games. Besides the super shooting mechanics that I was already attuned to, the game had an innovative revive and respawn mechanism that lowered the bar of entry into the Battle Royal genre.

The original APEX Legends game features fantastic performance on the PC, Xbox, and Playstation. It’s free to play. Good luck trying not to drop cash to unlock characters, skins, and the like. The mobile edition is much the same in regards to cost. Free to play, but you’ll be pushed to purchase a Battle Pass and other unlocks. You can earn in-game curencey just from playing, but it is pretty slow going.

The Switch version of the game plays well with some stipulations. To make the full port of the original game work on the handheld’s hardware required sacrifices. To start with, the frame rate is capped at 30. In addition the resolution, processing effects, and textures are all low enough to look noticeably degraded.

The Nintendo Switch Plays the original game.

APEX Legends Mobile was built for mobile devices from the ground up. It features graphics that are some of the best I have seen in any AAA mobile title. The developers have included options to allow players to tune the game to favor looks, or performance.

On Android devices of any kind, the frame rate is capped at 60 FPS. Rumor has it this is a temporary situation and that an update will raise the limit to match the 90 FPS enjoyed by some Apple devices. Other than that, the Apple and Android versions are the same.

Speaking of Apple devices, playing on the 12.9″ iPad Pro with the graphics cranked to their max is an epic experience. On the big screen with an Xbox controller in my hand and my noise cancelling earbuds in, the immersion was comparable to a home system.

The 12.9″ iPad Pro experience could replace a console.

APEX Legends Mobile on the Galaxy Fold 3 combined with the Gamesir X2 Bluetooth controller, and ANC earbuds is flat-out the best mobile gaming experience I’ve had to-date. The game and controller are also fantastic when paired with the iPhone 13 Pro Max. For me, the Fold’s screen size edges out the iPhone’s faster refresh rate.

APEX Legends Mobile is Phenominal on Android and Apple.

In the Battle Royal mode called “Prime Time” Teams of three Legends choose a landing spot on the classic World’s Edge map and scavenge for the all important first weapon. The trios continue killing and looting everything in sight until the map’s force feild contracts and drives the groups closer together. Each turn of the screw ratchets up the frequency and ferocity of the skirmishes until only one team is left standing.

The mobile edition also features a Team Death Match mode that is not available on the consoles or PC. You can choose between base spawn or a random spawn point. TDM

In a move I haven’t seen since the original CoD MW, a third person view is supported in all modes. Matchmaking is based on the view. Selecting TPP (third person player) puts you in a TPP queue, likewise for FPP.

I assumed that the touch-screen controls would be atrocious, but was happily surprised to find they are serviceable. Like other popular mobile shooters, the numerous control icons are confusing at first. I suggest taking advantage of the customization option to maximize your screen realestate.

The game really shines when you use a controller. Not all controllers are supported at this point. I was able to play with my Xbox and Gamesir X2 Bluetooth controller. I’ve read that the Razer Kishi also works. The controller only functions in-game. You still need to use the touchscreen for menus.

Playing a shooter like Fortnite or Call of Duty on your phone can be frustrating. Without physical “triggers” I find myself having to look at the screen to find the touch spots for aiming down the sites and firing. Each time that I do, I end up the one bleeding out on the ground.

Some games have attempted to rectify this situation. Call of Duty Mobile for example, has an “auto-fire” mode in which your weapon fires at any target that lines up with the sights. Auto-fire does its job, some of the people that I play with prefer it. It makes the game feel less like a shooter and more like an arcade game, but that could be my years of Xbox showing through.

There are also many types of external controllers for your mobile phone. You can even pair a Bluetooth Xbox or PlayStation controller. Competitive shooters tend to force you play with other controller enabled players when you opt for physical controls. You can end up in a much smaller pool of players which makes finding games more difficult. You may also lose the ability to play with friends who don’t have controllers of their own.

There are a few phones on the market that have built-in shoulder buttons. They sound like a good idea and the one made by ASUS works well in the handful of games that support it. There’s no way I’m giving up my Galaxy Note and its pen though. How would I finish writing this article? It’s too bad that I can’t add a couple of buttons to my precious.

Apparently, some enterprising people had the same thought. There are several manufactures that are making universal shoulder buttons that you can slide onto any mobile. They function by tapping the screen with a small mesh pad when the trigger is depressed. Your game will need to allow a customized layout. The aim and fire controls need to be moved under the button’s pads.

I was skeptical, but you can get a set on Amazon for less than ten bucks and I like trying new stuff. They showed up the same day I ordered them (same day shipping rules) and I have been pleasantly surprised. These things are great. They fit in a tiny case that easily slips into a pocket when you’re not playing. The button press feels great on the set I got. They do block the screen a little. Each pad is a .5 centimeter square, but the trade off is well worth it from my point of view.

Since they are tapping the screen, you won’t be isolated in a controller only game queue. The advantage for me is in gripping my phone, I can hold it more like a PlayStation or Xbox controller. I also don’t have to constantly look at the screen to find the touch spots and can use the ADS and Fire functions simultaneously.

Some may consider these types of devices “cheating”, but they don’t have that big of an impact. On average, I got the same kills per game when using them versus not. As a developer, I must warn you, detecting and disabling these shoulder buttons would be simple. If they do start being counted as a cheat they may be outlawed in a future update for your game.