Unity boss David Helgason has proclaimed that the home console will always be more superior than portable devices, despite acknowledging that the technology gap is in fact getting smaller. He also acknowledged that the mobile scene is making some great leaps in technology as well, noting that,
“What’s interesting is that mobile phone hardware cycles are as short as 18 months. It’s very quick, and there’s enormous investment in it because it’s so competitive, so the hardware sophistication is advancing at a crazy rate.”
Helgason, speaking to Develop, believes that smartphones can match the memory capacities of consoles but are still behind in terms of the GPU and CPU scene. Here is more on what Helgason had to say,
“But I think by the time mobiles reach current generation console quality, a new set of consoles will be released, which will raise the bar again by a lot more.”
He also believes that the biggest factor on portable development is in fact how to balance the progress in technology with the battery life of the portable hardware, whether it be a smartphone or a dedicated gaming device. The Nintendo 3DS and Sony’s Playstation Vita will have battery lives in the 4-5 hour mark. Smartphones, running applications and everything else, also suffers a short battery life.
“With mobiles you have to balance everything with the progress of battery life”
This may be in response to a current trend where social and mobile gaming will take over the traditional home and portable consoles. I tend to agree with Helgason. Instead of a challenge to the home market, just make them as a portable device, as they should function.