There is an “absolutely clear” case that desktop games are “rapidly falling behind” those on mobile, as revealed in a Q2 corporate report from BGaming

The report highlighted that 95.3 per cent of players played slots on mobile devices in Q2 – a 1.08 per cent increase from Q1 and up from 77.6 per cent in Q2 2020. 

With this in mind, BGaming explained that when it comes to developing new games, many titles are optimised for mobile devices first – with desktop following soon after.

“When creating art visualising features for a game, options for mobile devices are developed first,” noted Yulia Aliakseyeva, game producer at BGaming. “We pay much attention to the game’s performance: graphics content optimisation, animations and effects.”

One challenge with taking a mobile-first approach is ensuring that the quality of games remains high – something which becomes somewhat easier as new technologies arise.

Aliakseyeva continued: “At the same time, the quality of games should remain high. A key challenge is to find a balance between quality and performance. The trend brings many changes. Games can be simplified in terms of content and effects, but at the same time, technology goes fast. 

“For example, with the increasing availability of 5G technology, new opportunities open up for game developers.”

Among the findings of the report, BGaming also highlighted that PC and console games are popular among slot amateurs, with a poll showing that 40 per cent of its audience prefer to play both video games and online slots.

BGaming stated that this data is a clear demonstration that “more and more players come to gambling for fun and impressions first”.

“A similar number – 36.98 per cent – showcases that many players often bet on sports or esports,” explained Bogdan Gres, brand manager at BGaming. “In the future, the tendency can stimulate the development of groundbreaking solutions combining two areas of entertainment.”

In addition to the previous poll, Elvis Frog in Vegas was voted as BGaming’s “most recognisable game” among the studio’s titles in a separate poll. Furthermore, one of the latest releases, Dig Dig Digger, as well as early Aztec Magic and Book of Cats slots, also reached the top five.