Genshin Impact is one of the pleasant surprise game titles for 2020. It manages to blend Action RPG elements with a lush and vibrant atmosphere, on top of introducing a myriad of characters. Moreover, each character possesses different skills and affinities that results in a fun and highly appealing game.
One of the Genshin Impact’s best features is that players can access and play the game on their PCs as well as their mobile phones. This opens a whole new potential player base especially for regions that use their smartphones regularly. But how does Genshin Impact play on mobile phones stack up against the PC version? Let’s find out!
Visuals & Graphics Compared
Genshin Impact’s graphics are reminiscent of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. This is especially with some of the color palette choices and the way some of the overworld areas were designed. Each of the game’s immense regions is well-rendered and have their own characteristics that set them apart. For instance, Mondstadt has a very medieval European vibe, while Liyue resembles a late century Chinese city.
When traversing the different regions, both PC and mobile versions of the game have excellent frame rates. They also generally do not have any issues when rendering the details of the open world. That said, since most gaming PCs have dedicated GPUs, the environment and visuals are clearer and more detailed. This makes long travels between quests more immersive since you get to see a more vibrant open world.
Meanwhile, the mobile version is no pushover when it comes to visuals. Most mobile phones nowadays have powerful operating systems and processors that allow them to smoothly run games. Granted the mobile version has a smaller screen to work with, and this means some of the details in the open world would get a bit blurry, but the graphics in the immediate proximity of the characters are nice and crisp as well.
The one thing that the mobile version has over the PC version is that those who play Genshin Impact on their mobile phones have the luxury of being able to play it anywhere as long as there is a stable internet connection. So, the device’s accessibility can be one of the important deciding factors in selecting their chosen platform.
Genshin Impact PC vs Mobile Gameplay
As an Action RPG, being able to move around to avoid enemy attacks and dish out spells and sword swings to retaliate is crucial. That is because getting out of the way of an enemy’s strong attack usually means surviving or retrying a stage or event.
As far as the PC version is concerned, the keyboard and mouse setup is a standard control setup for third-person. Depending on how powerful your PC is, there is little to no input lags to worry about. Hitting enemies with your attacks using mouse clicks feel good. Plus, casting spells and abilities can be done effortlessly with a simple press of the button. Moreover, PC’s bigger screen lets you react better since you can see your enemies’ attacks. Wider screen helps you plan or defend and attack accordingly. This is especially necessary when going through different dungeons since it requires precise dodging, attacking, and spellcasting.
Meanwhile, the mobile version of Genshin Impact, while it runs relatively smoothly as well, has a slight issue. Unlike the PC where the keyboard and mouse buttons make for more direct character control, the button overlay for the mobile version tends to be bunched up near the sides of the screen.
Granted that the players can still control their characters, but the screen proves to be constricting at times. That is because the small screen also acts as the players’ controller. This means that in pressure situations, they need to worry about their finger placements so that they can properly navigate the screen and land their attacks.
But then again, just like all new controls, players usually just need to get accustomed to the controls. The developers of Genshin Impact have made sure to make the mobile version still feel intuitive to play. It all boils down to one’s preference. Suffice to say, both versions still deliver on the action and immersive atmosphere that Genshin Impact’s world of Teyvat has to offer.
