The online gambling industry is developing at a rapid pace, with the market now worth billions of dollars. It’s not just a Plan B to a traditional land-based casino anymore, but online alternatives are now a viable extinction-level threat to the old guard.
But what many consumers won’t know, including experienced gamblers, is that it’s also possible to gamble on the PS4. The question is this: is it worth it? Let’s explore the benefits and downsides of each.
Console (PS4) vs. Online Casinos
The first clear difference we have to discuss is the gameplay experience. The PS4 is a console, hooked up to your television or screen, and you use the standard controller to play.
For online casinos, it’s all done via a browser or an app (e.g. a tablet or your smartphone). There’s no clear winner in terms of experience, and it’s ultimately down to preference.
Of course, a tablet, smartphone, or laptop does offer players portability. Instead of having to be at home, sitting on the couch, and starting up the PS4, you can just play for a few minutes during your commute to/from work.
Range of Games
The PlayStation is not necessarily known for its casino games, but that doesn’t mean they’re not available. The Four Kings Casino and Slots, for instance, is probably the best one out there. It was released in 2015 and it’s an immersive MMO that aims to mimic the real-life casino experience. It’s almost an attempt to plonk the player right in the middle of the metaverse, 3D avatar, and all.
There are other solid titles, like Pure Hold’Em and High Roller Casino. But what the PS4 has in quality, it definitely lacks in quantity. There just aren’t enough options, and that goes for all consoles.
When it comes to online casino games, however, the spread is far richer. You have your old-school classics, sure, but the slots on offer are beyond anything you’ll find on your console. There are progressive jackpots running into the millions, slots with thousands of different winning combinations, six-reel Megaways online games with up to 117,649 ways of winning, lots of different themes, and much more.
The difference in the range of games isn’t really a surprise, either. The PS4 isn’t built uniquely to gamble, whereas, with online casinos, it’s on the tin.
Real vs. Virtual Cash
Perhaps the biggest difference in this whole debate is the fact that you can’t actually gamble real money on the PS4. It’s all make-believe, a virtual balance, where you can always restart the game to try again.
When it comes to online casinos, however, it’s your hard-earned dollars that you’ll be using. That’s not always a bad thing, as spending a little bit of fun money on playing cards or trying to win that big jackpot on the slot machine is a thrill, not many other games can match.
Also, there are actually ways to play online casino games with ‘fake’ money, without having to put your own cash down. It’s a sort of try-before-you-buy scheme, with many casinos keen for players to get a taste of the experience, knowing that most will fancy their chances in real play.
PS4: The Immersive Experience
The advantage of the PS4’s gambling experience is that the wider setup is about creating an immersive experience. When you play Four Kings Casino and Slots, it’s not just a deck of cards or a slot machine where you just hit ‘X’. Instead, you create a full 3D avatar, which you will use to navigate the virtual environment.
This angle offers players a uniquely immersive experience that isn’t replicated in most online casinos. And that’s not necessarily what they’re trying to do anyway. It’s a difference, rather than an argument for one over the other.
Yet describing online casinos as soulless virtual environments would be doing them a gross disservice. Especially now that online casinos offer live games, where you can play with real dealers and interact with other players at the same time. These days, it’s getting close to the experience of the ‘real thing’.
But Hey, Why Choose?
Ultimately, it’s not really an either/or discussion. As we’ve highlighted in this piece, there are plus and minus points for either option. Sometimes you may want to put your own money on the line to try and win, or you just want to spend a little time practicing on your PS4. Why not have both at your disposal?
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