The online gaming space today is more crowded than ever before. And of course, this is not the case with most online gaming platforms.
But to be fair, many of them are actually good when it comes to interface, game variety, user experience and just the basic things that an online gaming platform should at least meet to provide a smooth and enjoyable user experience.
But as the gaming ecosystem continues to evolve, gamers are now actually looking for more than the basics. And so they start to consider a whole new set of critical factors when deciding which platform to use.
What is an online gaming platform?
In order to understand what really sets a platform apart, it is important to first define what an online gaming platform actually is. As the name suggests, an online gaming platform is a digital, internet-enabled environment that brings together a wide range of features and services, allowing gamers to access and enjoy games online. These platforms not only host and run games, but also manage them in multiplayer and single-player modes, enable connections between players, and integrate social features that improve interaction within the community. In addition, they handle software updates, provide tools for developers, and store user and game data, among many other functions.
There are different types of online gaming platforms, each tailored to different ecosystems and devices. PC platforms such as Steam and Epic Games remain among the most popular, while console-based platforms include PlayStation Network, Nintendo eShop and Xbox Network. Console gaming platforms such as Amazon Luna and Nvidia have also emerged, allowing gaming without high-end hardware. Meanwhile, mobile platforms such as the Apple App Store and Google Play Store continue to dominate gaming on smartphones and tablets.
Five factors users look for when choosing an online gaming platform
Here are five key factors that users now consider when choosing an online gaming platform:
Complete cross-platform experience
When we say that a user wants a complete cross-platform experience, it just means that the user wants to access their games across different platforms. For example, when a player starts playing a game on their PC, they want to be able to pause the game and continue at that exact point on another platform, perhaps their mobile phone. This can now only be made possible through crossplay and crossprogression.
- Cross Play: With Cross Play, the user is able to play against other people, regardless of what device they are using. So if you’re playing on a console, you want to be able to play against your friend who uses a PC.
- Cross Progression: This is the ability to continue your game even if you change devices. This means you play up to level five on your PC, and if you pick up a Nintendo you can actually continue from level five.
Now, a complete cross-platform experience depends heavily on the online gaming platform you use. Some platforms allow this, others don’t, and some don’t do it smoothly enough. For this reason, many users now want to make sure that a platform can widely offer this feature before starting with it.
Now, it’s not just the platforms that need to work perfectly to enable a complete cross-platform experience. Also, something needs to act as a bridge between the different devices the player uses. And this is the developer-managed account that saves users’ game progress. The game developer must also have built a backend system that enables cross-platform work with their games. This system ensures easy synchronization, multiplayer matching and communication between devices.
Performance and technical reliability
There is always a standard of performance. Now ask any gamer in the UK and you will find that performance has always been a key requirement when choosing an online gaming platform. Today, however, performance metrics have changed massively. The current level of development of games requires even higher standards of performance and technical reliability.
For an online gaming platform to perform optimally, it must be based on a solid technological foundation. This includes strong regional coverage to ensure accessibility across different locations, as well as a robust network that can handle continuous and demanding traffic. High-performance content delivery networks (CDNs) are essential for reducing latency and delivering content efficiently, while edge computing helps bring processing closer to the user, enabling faster response times. Additionally, elastic scaling plays a key role in allowing the platform to seamlessly adapt to fluctuations in demand without compromising performance.
One profile that has seen significant growth is niche websites that focus on reviews and comparisons. With competition in these sectors at an all-time high, transparent platforms that inform players, such as Ask Gamblers UK in the casino sector or IGN in the video game industry, have become essential for users who want to avoid making the wrong choice when choosing a game or platform. If all this works perfectly, users won’t have to face lags, buffering issues, slow loading times, rubber bands, memory conflicts, voice chat stutters, etc. If you’re a gamer, you know that these things can be very frustrating.
Beyond performance, a gaming platform must also be technically reliable. It must be able to handle gaming activities with little or no downtime, i.e. problems such as server unavailability or session host failure. It also needs to be able to provide players with some level of immunity if their game crashes.
Advanced security and privacy
In addition to performance, safety has always been non-negotiable. The requirements have only become higher today. Nowadays, games are more than just a fun activity. Some people have built a career out of it. This means that a security breach, perhaps a hack or account theft, means more to players than ever before.
Today, online gaming platforms are typically the first line of defense when it comes to hacking, identity theft, and data breaches. Therefore, players will always prefer a platform with all the necessary security features. These include multi-layer authentication or multi-factor authentication, AI-powered threat detection, enterprise-class firewalls, intrusion detection systems, data encryption, etc.
Data protection is also more important today than ever. There are now data protection laws, such as the GDPR in the UK and COPPA, designed to protect users’ data protection rights. Many gamers today will not choose platforms that do not operate in accordance with these laws.
Community and social infrastructure
As already mentioned, a lot has changed in the gaming industry in recent years. Games are no longer just tools for fun or escape from the real world. Today we have gaming communities that many gamers enjoy being a part of and are always looking forward to connecting and interacting with. For this reason, many gamers today only prefer platforms that enable such connections and interactions.
Platforms can achieve this by combining a range of features designed to improve user engagement and interaction. This includes integrating tools that support social connections, such as voice chat, community forums, and seamless app integrations with services like Twitch or Discord. They also create immersive experiences through in-game events and dedicated digital spaces, while integrated activity feeds keep players updated and connected in real-time. Additionally, customization tools allow users to personalize their experience, adding another layer of engagement to the platform.
Fair and flexible monetization models
Games today also require more money than before. Apart from in-game currencies, skins and battle passes that require in-game currency, players also need to spend money on the gaming platform. One thing that can actually influence many players is a platform’s payment structure.
Many gamers would prefer a platform that runs on a subscription-based structure. With such a structure, they can make a one-time payment that gives them access to various games. The alternative to this is that they have to pay differently for each game, which can be frustrating.
Platforms are now actually affecting in-game purchases. Players can fund their accounts and then use those funds for in-game purchases. In this case, many players always prefer platforms with a unified wallet system that allows them to actually spend money in different games just by funding this account.
But beyond these features, a platform’s in-game monetization policies are also a factor that many players consider. Today, many games use different mechanics that require certain purchases to progress. Players prefer transparent environments, and some online platforms curate these games by ensuring they adhere to strict standards of fairness. There are also pre-players today
