There is little doubt about it: in today’s world, most people have gone mobile. Mobile gaming far outstrips other kinds of gaming, with more than a third of people viewing mobile gaming as their main way of accessing games. There’s also no question that the mobile gaming universe has come along in leaps and bounds in recent years, but at the same time, lots of people feel a little unsure about this way of playing.
After all, an awful lot of games don’t scale well to the smaller screen and more limited interface that mobile devices inevitably offer. So, if you’re curious about progressive slots and you usually enjoy these on a large screen, you might be wondering… can you make the jump to mobile? Let’s find out.
Progressives Still Work The Same
First things first. Let’s clarify that progressive slots still work exactly the same on mobile devices as they do on desktops and laptops. If you boot up your favorite progressive slots on your cell phone or a tablet, you’ll have the same experience, even if you notice a few changes in the interface. The RTP, spin cadence, sounds, bonus rounds, mechanics, and all other major factors should remain absolutely identical.
So what does change? Why does anything look different?
Well, clever though designers have got about handling the constrictions of a smaller screen, the fact remains that mobile devices do sometimes require more compact setups than you might be used to on a desktop version. You’re most likely to see this play out in the movement of certain buttons and features; those that are deemed extraneous to the basic play will sometimes be tucked into expandable menus and other slightly more hidden areas.
That sometimes creates confusion when a player opens a favorite game on a mobile device for the first time and notices that a familiar feature appears to have gone – but if you look, you’ll usually find that it has just been minimized or tucked away to ensure the interface is clean and playable. After all, you don’t want the screen to be crowded; that makes the slot hard to play.
It’s also important to note that if the slot you’re playing is being fed by a general pool of networked machines, the exact same will happen when you play on a mobile device. There’s no requirement for this to happen on a computer; the jackpot will tick up as usual.
Progressives Are Well-Suited To Mobile
Now that we’ve taken care of the fact that the progressive jackpot doesn’t behave any differently on a mobile device, let’s look at the actual playing experience. Can you expect a good time if you curl up with your smartphone or tablet on the sofa, rather than sitting down at your desk?
Put simply, yes. If you’ve not played many games on a smartphone – or if the games you’ve played have been poorly adapted – you might be a little skeptical, but actually, slots translate astonishingly well to this format, and progressive slots are no exception.
That’s because they have relatively simple interfaces, with minimalistic controls. You’ll probably already have noticed if you play slots on a laptop that you don’t need lots of bells and whistles; you’ve got a “spin” button, a box to enter your bet, and possibly a few other interactive elements, depending on the game’s features. You’ll likely have a progressive jackpot meter that visibly fills up too, but nothing over the top.
That means you can take this meme and apply it very thoroughly to the world of mobile devices – forget the laptop, and curl up with something more comfortable instead.
Which Option Is Better?
So, slots on a mobile device or slots on a big screen? It’s a hard choice!
The benefits of being able to play progressive slots on a mobile are huge, unquestionably, especially in today’s fast-paced and chaotic world. Maybe you rarely have the time to boot up your laptop for a proper gaming session, but you do have fifteen minutes free during your commute, or you can plonk on the couch with your phone after the kids are in bed.
Knowing that slots are open for this kind of low-commitment activity, where you don’t have to turn on an entire gaming rig, makes them an excellent option for short gaming sessions.
That said, there are some advantages to booting up the bigger devices when you have time. Probably the most pertinent is the experience you’ll get. Slots today are works of art; you’ve got themes aplenty being used to totally transform each one, providing a unique look – and that’s without even getting into the sound. Yes, you’ll still get something of the experience through your mobile device, but it’s going to be decidedly tinny by comparison.
Really, to enjoy the beauty of progressive slots to the full, you want a laptop or a desktop. We’re not suggesting you need a high-end gaming rig blasting away at full power… but those lush hues and rich tones are definitely better when you play them on larger-scale equipment.
There’s no right or wrong here, so we’d say, why not the best of both? Mobile progressive slots for those small, lite sessions… and then the full experience when you’ve got the time and inclination to boot up your computer.
