Playing online has become a hugely popular way to play games. Humans are social creatures, and it’s always more fun to play with someone else even if they are not in the same room as you. The first game played over a network was a multi-user dungeon (MUD) in 1979. It was played between scientists at the University of Essex in the UK and scientists at UCLA’s Stanford Research Institute. In this game, you could move between different dungeons and fight enemies with other players in a very rudimentary way.
Nowadays, we have so many options in terms of online games that we can play, from massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPG) and multiplayer online battle arenas (MOBA) to first-person shooters, strategy games and racing games. We also have a huge choice of platforms to play them on.
Laptops
Though they have been around since the 1980s, the technology behind laptops has advanced significantly, so you can play a game on your battery power for more than an hour and you can store hundreds of games on your hard drive. The laptop offers precise controls via mouse and keyboard, which makes them perfect for playing online first-person shooters and strategy games. With a laptop, you have access to a huge library of PC games, both old and new. Additionally, you can play online browser games on your laptop as well as using the internet to play other games, such as the lottery. You can also take part in the rich history of the VA lottery by buying a Virginia Lottery ticket.
Desktops
Laptops may be the more popular choice for most consumers, but there is still a place for the desktop for gamers. When you think of gaming computers, it’s desktops that spring to mind – big towers, color-coded keyboards and mice with 12 buttons on them. Desktops offer more power than laptops at a cheaper price, especially if you put your own one together by buying the parts separately. That can be a fun activity in itself. Like laptops, your desktop will have access to new PC games as well as all of the older games.
iPhones
The phone came of gaming age in 2007 with the introduction of the Apple iPhone. This was basically a computer in the palm of your hand, and the capabilities of this went far beyond Snake. Smartphones offer different controls from those of computers because of the touchscreen. This makes them better suited to some genres and less so to others. The current iteration of the iPhone has so many games available in the App Store, from casual games and puzzle games to racing games and shooters. Online gaming is also well-represented with PUBG Mobile offering you an online multiplayer first-person shooter experience.
Android smartphones
With Android, you will get similar hardware features on a generally cheaper smartphone. You also have a larger choice of phones to choose from – LG, Google Pixel and Samsung Galaxy, to name just a few. You will also have a different selection of titles to choose from in the Google Play Store compared to the ones that you would in the App Store on iPhone. There are some exclusive titles on both operating systems, so if you are after a particular game, then you should check to make sure that you can actually play it on your phone.
Consoles
The current generation of games consoles includes the PlayStation 4, the Xbox One and the Nintendo Switch. All three of these have online play capability if you also pay a monthly subscription. The games available on the three consoles vary quite a lot, with some titles exclusive to certain consoles. The controllers for the Xbox and PlayStation are largely similar, but the Switch offers quite a different setup. With the Switch, you can choose whether you play it handheld or on a TV/monitor. You can attach the Joy-Con controllers to the Switch portable screen when playing it handheld and you detach them when you play it as a normal home console.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are several options available to you when choosing your online gaming device. All have their own strengths and selection of titles available, as well as being able to play on the go or not. What you get depends on what you want to play and how you want to play it. Remember that you don’t have to stick with just one of them.
