Over the last few years, the conventional wisdom has been that the traditional PC has been on the way out. Sales figures certainly seemed to support this view having peaked in 2012 followed by a steady decline since then. But those of us who were ready to write off the technology as having had its day may now have to reassess that opinion. That’s because the figures for 2020 show that almost 300 million PCs were sold worldwide, an increase of 11% on the previous year.
The fact that people seem to go back to PCs could have some serious implications for many sectors, not least online casinos. This is because, in line with general trends, more and more players have been choosing to use mobile devices to play.
This has been especially prevalent among people who play online slot games. These are particularly suitable for play on smaller screens, which are just the right format to show the spinning reels. The fact that there are also relatively few controls, most times just a single spin command, also works very effectively on a mobile device, whether it’s a phone or a tablet.
However, the news that PC sales are rising may possibly see some changes in how future slots and other games are developed to further enhance the player experience. Two key differences will need to be considered. The first of these is the screen size that will be used, the second is the greater range of controls that playing on a PC makes possible.
In the case of the screen size, it will give designers and developers even more freedom to create impactful visuals. This, in turn, can make playing any online game from roulette to slots a more immersive experience than on a mobile.
This could be especially impactful for the “live casino” games that most sites now offer. These work by streaming actual play, with the information being digitized to allow for the games to work online. Naturally, a PC monitor will always be bigger than a smartphone screen, so experiencing this on a smartphone will diminish the effect, while still being a viable way to play. But by seeing the action on a bigger screen, it’s bound to be more impactful.
Similarly, live casino games also have a chat function to allow players to interact with the dealers, and having a separate keyboard will facilitate this greatly. The fact that there is also a trackpad and a mouse, if used, greatly adds to the range of controls that can be brought into play—allowing for more complex games to be enjoyed.
Of course, not that all the online casinos’ focus will be on PC play. The overall trend continues to be for mobile devices. But it will certainly be an ongoing consideration if they want to have all their bases covered—and the continuing success of the sector shows that this is very much one of its key attributes.
