Melo Villareal
Gaming gadgets to travel with
Most people rave about traveling, but the really great thing about traveling is getting to your destination. In most cases, you spend quite a lot of your time just waiting around or going to one place or the other. What do you do? You play a game on your smartphone or tablet. Any old mobile device will do if you’re just playing Bejeweled or Angry Birds, but what if you are more for online games such as online mobile casino? These are live games, and if you want to play, your gaming gadget has to have certain specifications. There are some features for gaming gadgets to travel with if you want to play online games.
Platform
Most mobile online games work on both Android and iOS platforms, and some even work with Symbian. For budget Android phones, there are still some online games you access, but perhaps not your favored ones. Some games will only work with the latest Android or iPhone models such as Bet 365.
If you like World of Warcraft, then you are in luck because the app is now available for both iOS and Android platforms. Other massive multiplayer online games (MMO or MMOG) like Clash of Clans and Albion Online, or you might even try massive multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPG), which used to be strictly desktop or laptop only, such as Dungeon Hunter 5 (Android only). If you have a favorite online game that you would like to continue playing while traveling, check to make sure your mobile platform is compatible with it.
Display
At a minimum, your screen resolution should be 800 x 600 to play online games, but that is almost laughable as most smartphones come with resolutions of 1440×2560 pixels in high definition, supported by at least 2 GB of RAM, although older ones such as the iPhone 4s only sports 960×640. While these may simply seem adequate for graphic-intensive games, it is well over what you need for online games. However, it cannot be denied that the size of mobile devices will always be a bit of a challenge for developers. The good news is, most game developers are working vigorously towards making online games scalable for mobile devices, and it will not be long before it will rival desktops and laptops in a graphical interface.
Connectivity
Of course, all smartphones nowadays have Wi-Fi capability, but not all are going to be up to specs. You need a gadget that is capable of 3G, 4G and LTE connections. Apropos to this is the speed of your connection. To play online games, you need to have sufficient speed and low ping rate (latency) to avoid lag, even with online games. The minimum for a satisfying online game is 1 Mbps speed and a latency rate of less than 100 m/s. If you are unsure that you will have access to this type of connection, bring it with you. Have a data plan of at least 1 GB from your service provider, or get a prepaid SIM just for that purpose. This is a MUST for online gaming on the go.
Battery
To play, you need to have power. You need a gadget with at least 3000mAH, unless you don’t mind being cut off in the middle of the game just when it was getting exciting. Some mobile gadgets have longer-lasting battery lives than others, so check out reviews for the capacity of different gadgets. If you are not willing to invest in another device in case your current one sucks in this area, you can always get a power bank that can keep you going. Those are quite affordable, so there is no reason why you can’t get one. If your gadget has a removable battery, have a fully charged spare one as well, although that still means you’ll have to leave a game at some point.
Processor
Last, but not least, you need a chipset that is capable of processing the information with adequate speed. You need at least a 350 MHz for online games, but a Quad core 1.4 GHz is more likely to be the minimum processor speed of your mobile gadget, so you can also play more hardware-intensive games.
Recommended gadgets for gaming in no particular order
- Acer Predator 6 – built specifically for gamers
- Apple iPhone 6s and 6s Plus
- Asus Transformer Infiniti Pad TF700
- Google Nexus 10
- HTC One M9
- LG G4, LG G5
- Microsoft Lumia 735 – best for Xbox gamers
- Razer Edge Pro Gaming Tablet
- Samsung Galaxy S6
- Samsung Galaxy S6 edge+
- Samsung’s Galaxy Note 8
- iPad Mini, iPad Pro
- iPhone 6, 6s, 6s Plus
If you are planning to buy a smartphone or tablet to bring on your travels, you might want to consider any of these. They are not cheap, but they are currently the best models for online gaming in the market. However, if you already have a mobile phone or tablet, check the specs to see if it is up to the challenge of online gaming before you leave for your trip, at least for online games. That way, you won’t be disappointed if it doesn’t work out.
Fortunately, you don’t need all that much for online gaming. With mobile gadget almost as good as desktops and laptops, and game developers pushing the envelope in accommodating the mobile gaming market, you’re probably going to be fine with any gadget that is no more than two years old. If you want a really great experience, though, you should think about getting a gaming phone or tablet for your travels.
