The Great Platform War
Two decades ago, the question was simple: play games on your computer or buy a console. Today, gaming exists across a fragmented landscape of mobile apps, browser games, PC clients, and cloud services.
The debate between mobile gaming and browser gaming deserves particular attention. These two approaches represent fundamentally different philosophies about what games should be—and who controls the experience.
Platform Comparison
| Factor | 📱 Mobile Apps | 🌐 Browser Games |
|---|---|---|
| Installation | Required (download + install) | None (click and play) |
| Platform Fee | 30% of revenue | ~5% payment processing only |
| Discovery | App store algorithms | SEO, social sharing, links |
| Updates | Users must download updates | Instant, automatic |
| Hardware Access | Full (camera, GPS, etc.) | Limited (improving) |
| Cross-Platform | Separate builds required | Works everywhere |
| Gatekeeping | Apple/Google approval required | No gatekeepers |
Friction: The Defining Difference
The most important difference between these platforms is friction—the effort required to start playing.
1. Click Link → 2. Play
That's it. No downloads. No permissions. No waiting.
Each friction step costs users. Conversion rates from "interest" to "actually playing" are dramatically higher for browser games precisely because there's nothing to convert—you're already there.
Monetization Models
The platforms encourage different business models:
App stores optimize for downloads, encouraging "free" games. Revenue comes from in-app purchases—often through luck-based mechanics, artificial scarcity, and addictive design. The 30% platform cut forces aggressive monetization.
Without the 30% tax, browser games can experiment with subscriptions, one-time purchases, ad support, or hybrid models. Lower overhead means profitability at smaller scales. More sustainable business models become viable.
Discovery and Competition
Finding players is challenging everywhere, but the dynamics differ:
Technical Considerations
Performance varies by use case:
The Hybrid Future
Increasingly, smart developers use both:
Test concepts with minimal investment. Validate demand before committing resources.
Revenue optimization through app stores once product-market fit is proven.
Browser for accessibility and virality. Native for monetization. Progressive Web Apps blur the line.
- Friction matters most: Browser (2 steps) vs Mobile (8 steps) to play
- 30% platform tax: Major revenue hit for mobile, avoided by browser
- Mobile excels: Hardware access, offline, push notifications
- Browser excels: Cross-platform, updates, sharing, no gatekeepers
- Hybrid wins: Smart developers use both platforms strategically
The Bottom Line
Mobile gaming and browser gaming serve different needs. Mobile apps offer polish, performance, and discoverability—at the cost of platform dependency and revenue sharing. Browser games offer freedom, accessibility, and instant play—at the cost of some native capabilities.
The best choice depends on your game's needs, your business model, and your tolerance for gatekeepers. But one thing is clear: dismissing browser gaming as a lesser platform misses its unique strengths and growing capabilities.
- Sensor Tower: Mobile Gaming Revenue Reports
- Epic Games v. Apple Trial Documents
- W3C Web Platform Capabilities