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Poll: How satisfactory is your gaming experience on Android?

Android, like most things in life, has its fair share of ups and downs. Being an ‘open’ platform, there is a lot that can be done with an Android phone or tablet right out of the box. The same cannot be said of iOS and Windows Phone devices, which are ‘closed’ for the most part, and therefore the user’s ability to customize and what-not is severely limited.

However, whenever there is a debate on the three platforms, one recurring attack that is laid upon Android by users of the other mobile operating systems is that Android is both laggy and buggy. Laggy as in tasks aren’t completed smoothly and the occasional stuttering are visible, and buggy as in applications get forced closed more often than not.

Both lagginess and bugginess affect Android gamers. It has a direct impact on an individual’s gaming experience on the platform. Speaking of lag and stuttering in games, I can personally vouch that games run much, much smoother on my Apple iPad 2 compared to my quad-core Acer Iconia Tab A510.

Take for example many of Gameloft’s games. Asphalt 7: Heat, for one, suffers from a chronic bout of lag on my Android tablet, but it runs smoothly on my iPad 2. The same goes for N.O.V.A 3. Even Tegra games, which are tailor-made for Android devices running on a supposedly superior chipset, suffer from the same fate. Horn chugs along at a low frame rate and stutters every now and again. Shadowgun THD comes to a virtual standstill during fighting scenes.

Next, speaking of bugginess, Android again falls short. I have played my fair share of games on the iPad, and honestly speaking, I have never experience a force close. Never. The less said about my experience on the Tab 10.1 and A510, the better, as I encounter a variety of games (as well as regular apps) force closing on a daily basis.

I know it for a fact that the force closes I face is not an isolated issue that may be due to the way I use my tablet, because for any game on Google Play, you can guarantee that about 20% of the reviews will mention something or another regarding force closes. At times, there are games that others overwhelmingly report of force closes, like Heroes Call, but I’ve never once experienced a force close for Heroes Call despite spending over 10 hours on it. So, it’s a very hit-and-run thing, and can vary from device to device.

Much of these problems can be contributed to the fact that there are thousands of different Android devices floating around in the market. Also, the fact that Google allows manufacturers to add a custom skin doesn’t help either. Sure, if developers try hard enough, they may be able to overcome such issues, but that is no easy task, and maybe even too much to ask, judging by the sheer number of Android devices out there.

The way I look at it, the bugginess of and lagginess of Android as a whole, which inadvertently has a direct impact on the performance of its apps and games, can only be solved if Google gets the manufacturers to streamline their products. They may look at Microsoft for inspiration in that respect – an open ecosystem that adheres to a strict software design.

Anyway, enough of what I think about my admittedly unsatisfactory gaming experience on Android. What do you have to say about it? Can you live with what you’re facing currently? Do you even face the problems I’ve highlighted above? Cast a vote in the poll below and expand on your thoughts in the comments section.

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