Nvidia: PC and Mobile Platforms Are Overtaking Consoles

Large graphics company Nvidia has cast its opinion on the current state of gaming, saying that PC and mobile platforms like tablets and even mobile phones are currently overtaking home consoles like the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 or Nintendo Wii.

The gaming industry is expanding left and right these days, with mobile gaming, specifically on phones powered by Android or iOS systems and on tablets like the iPad or Samsung Galaxy Tab, leading the way.

Nvidia, which supplies not only graphics cards for computers but also special chips like its Tegra one for mobile platforms, is adamant that consoles will soon be overtaken not just in terms of power, but also in terms of experiences delivered.

"Already mobile gaming is hot-on-the-heels of what you would expect from console-class gaming. We were demonstrating an Xbox 360 game running on our quad-core Project Kal-El technology demonstration at [Mobile World Congress],” said Nvidia's Tegra PR Manager Bea Longworth to GI.biz.

The biggest advantage of consoles, which is their simple nature and unique configuration, is also their biggest weakness, as they can't adapt to the rapid changes seen on the PC or mobile platforms.

"The gap is definitely closing, and that has always been the Achilles' heel of the console - its greatest strength is it's a stable platform, it's very much plug and play, you don't have to fiddle around with the hardware and have all the hassle that you might get from the PC,” she explained.

"But that's also its biggest disadvantage, the fact that they are static from one generation to another, and also that the technology can't improve. Whereas with other platforms like the PC and now mobile gaming, they will be constantly moving ahead.”

Nvidia predicts that mobile gaming, either on phones, tablets or dedicated devices like the Nintendo 3DS or Sony's Next Generation Portable, will become increasingly popular.

Nvidia isn't the only company lamenting the fate of dedicated home consoles while favoring mobile or PC platforms, as large games publisher Electronic Arts is also confident that the PC market will become its biggest money maker and continues to release titles for mobile devices like the iPhone or iPad.