It seems like every battle royale wants to run on mobile these days.Fortnitehas been on mobile for a really long time, as hasPlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds.The battle royale genre’s fast-paced gameplay lends itself well to on-the-go gaming, so in the way, it’s not too surprising that everyone wants to try to get to mobile. The natural progression, then, is thatApex Legendswants to join its competitors on mobile. If they can find fans eager to play on their phones, then it’s only logical thatApex Legendscan do the same. Respawn Entertainment’s battle royale is going stronger than ever, still adding new events and characters that slowly expand the game.
However, not everyone is excited about the announcement thatApex Legendsis coming to mobile. Admittedly,Apex Legendsis a little different from some of its competitors. The sci-fi setting and hero-shooter twist that it adopts mean there’s a whole lot more particle effects flying around and much more complicated, detail settings to render.Apex Legendsfans are a little worried that the game won’t run well on mobile, that they can’t be blamed for that. The game has faced optimization issues on Switch before. How hard will it be to get a stripped-down version of it to run smoothly on mobile?
RELATED:9 Seasons In, Apex Legends' Battle Passes Still Have One Fatal Flaw
Apex Legends' Struggles on Switch
Most version ofApex Legends,from PC to console, have received warm reviews for innovations in multiplayer communication and a roster of characters diverse in both identity and functionality.Apex Legendson Switch faltered, unfortunately. It’s no secret thatthe Nintendo Switch doesn’t pack the same punchas the PS4 or the Xbox One. That’s why so many graphically intense games are only on Nintendo’s rival consoles.Apex Legendson Switch faltered in reviews, with both fans and critics citing poor graphics, framerate issues, and other aspects of insufficient optimization.
The Switch might not be the strongest console on the market, but it’s certainly stronger than a smartphone. That’s why it’s so worrying that Respawn wants to putApex Legendson Android and iOS. If the Switch couldn’t handleApex Legends,even after adjustments, can the game really succeed on mobile? Respawn assures fans that big changes will be made to the mobile version, but clearly big changes weren’t enough for the Switch. Unless the next version of the game is really drastically different, it’s a little hard to imagine howApex Legendson mobile can be anything like the console and PC experiencethat Respawn originally set out to create.
RELATED:Apex Legend Pro ShivFPS’s Suspension is the Latest Casualty in Tufi’s Reign of Terror
Making Mobile Work
Admittedly, there’s a couple reasons that the mobile version is worth trying. For one thing,Apex Legendson Switch probably taught Respawn Entertainment a lot about how far it has to go to makeApexwork on less powerful platforms. The blueprint for this new version probably already learned a lot from the Switch version. For another, there’s a lot to be said for accessing the market available on mobile.Apex Legendswill remain free to playon this new platform, and a AAA experience on mobile for free might attract a whole lot of players, standing out among a deep sea of mobile games that charge for access.
The mobile version ofApex Legendswill supposedly be completely differently designed from the original versions of the game while stillstaying true to theApex Legendsspirit. It’s somewhat reassuring that Respawn knows thatApex Legendshas to be overhauled for mobile, not just optimized differently. Still, it’s a little hard to take that on faith, seeing how many fans were disappointed by the Switch edition. The harder Respawn tries to makeApex Legendson mobile feel like the other versions, the more risk there is of the mobile version falling apart. If Respawn wants to tap into the mobile market, it’s really going to have to measure twice and cut once on this version of the game.
