Big iPhone screen: Accelerating the demise of one-handed gaming

The new generation of iPhone will have two screen sizes, one of which is likely to be 5.5 inches. In the past, the biggest advantage of using iPhone was that we could operate it with one hand, but large-screen phones are not suitable for one-handed games. So will the large-screen iPhone make one-handed games such as "Legend of the Mistress" and "Strange Fishing" disappear?

1. Large-screen phones affect the one-handed gaming experience

If you are a consumer, you don't care about the screen size. But for iOS game developers, it may be a design nightmare. At the most basic level, good game design is about a lot of interactive details. The game button was originally only 1.1 inches from the edge of the screen. Now this distance has become 1.2 inches, and the user experience will obviously be affected.

In the early days of smartphones, when developers were only targeting one device, it was easy for them to handle these details. Today, mobile gaming experiences are no longer that perfect. To make money, developers must make their games available on as many screens as possible. As a result, many developers can only make their games "suitable" for large-screen devices and small-screen devices. Three sizes of iPhone will only exacerbate this problem.

It can be seen that the large-screen iPhone will have a significant impact on the mobile gaming field. Although large-screen Android users can find one-handed games, it should be pointed out that the vast majority of well-designed one-handed games come from the iPhone platform, and these games are usually only released in iPhone versions.

If Apple launches a larger-screen iPhone, one-handed gaming will most likely die.

2. Development problems

Smartphones have given rise to new types of games, and waiting in line is no longer as painful as it once was. Now that users can touch almost the entire screen with one hand, developers can design casual games that allow users to play games while on the go. On the subway or at the bank, users can play Flappy Bird, but not 3D shooting games.

If Apple launches a larger iPhone, many iPhone users will not be able to comfortably touch the entire screen with one hand. This will put casual games that occupy busy time in an awkward position and may become an unprofitable business.

If a developer plans to develop a game that supports the vertical screen, the developer will assume that half of the customers will hold the phone with two hands. If the developer decides to develop a one-handed game, it will be equivalent to giving up a large part of the market.

3. Different one-handed game situations will also be different

An interesting feature of vertical games such as "Legend of Xiao San" and "Temple Run" is that the main operation can be achieved from any screen position. Therefore, they may not die out in the end. However, games such as "Cut the Rope" focus on regional touch, and the road to development in the future may be more difficult.

Of course, developers will also adapt one-handed games to large-screen devices, and try to move the controls to the bottom of the screen and other areas where the thumb can control. However, this design method is not suitable for large-screen devices and is not suitable for all games.

In fact, large-screen game design involves more than just thumb operation. Single-handed operation of a large screen is likely to result in misoperation. Various uncertainties increase the difficulty of game development.

4. One-handed gaming is on the decline

The big screen iPhone will sound the death knell for many one-handed games. In fact, one-handed games have already begun to decline. Let's take a look at the popular game lists on Google Play and App Store:

So far, both app stores have only one portrait-mode game in their top 20 games lists, compared to half of the App Store's top-selling paid games in 2010.

As smartphones become more powerful, mobile games are becoming more and more like movies, and widescreen movies are usually better. As for the vertical mode leisure mode, applications such as Twitter and Instagram can also meet the needs of mobile phone users. In order to attract users, such social applications even have entertainment elements similar to games.

In the long run, the demise of one-handed gaming is a good thing. Touchscreen devices were originally designed for one-handed operation, which gave rise to this new type of gaming. One-handed gaming is easy to pick up and easy to let go. With the rise of large-screen phones, the space for one-handed gaming is gradually disappearing.

As a winner of Toutiao's Qingyun Plan and Baijiahao's Bai+ Plan, the 2019 Baidu Digital Author of the Year, the Baijiahao's Most Popular Author in the Technology Field, the 2019 Sogou Technology and Culture Author, and the 2021 Baijiahao Quarterly Influential Creator, he has won many awards, including the 2013 Sohu Best Industry Media Person, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Beijing Third Place, the 2015 Guangmang Experience Award, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Finals Third Place, and the 2018 Baidu Dynamic Annual Powerful Celebrity.