As a professional player, I choose Valorant over CS: GO — Simar 'psy' Sethi, Noble Esports

Q. PC gaming in India has pretty much been non-existent in terms of esports tournaments, as the primary focus is on mobile players. Now, with the recent ban on PUBG Mobile, do you think gamers will approach PC gaming more, and that the community will start growing with free-to-play titles like Valorant, thus making their mark in the gaming industry?

Psy: I think a lot of people will give a variety of responses to this particular question. I have a very realistic outlook on this. Indeed, many young gamers in the country do not have a PC. Not everyone can afford it. If you go to your father and ask him to buy you a PC, he’s going to ask you how much it costs? You will say 1 lakh minimum for a decent budget gaming PC. He’ll say no, depending on the financial situation.

On the flip side, if you go to your father and ask for a mobile phone, for say 15k, he is going to say yes! Because in that amount, you can play your mobile games, and they can communicate and stay in touch with you, which goes a long way.

Not to mention, mobile games are free-to-play, and Valorant is also free-to-play, but in terms of accessibility, mobile phones come as a clear winner in this market. Also, touching on the versatility of mobile games, they can be played anytime, anywhere, when compared to PCs, which can only be used while being at home.

It is also expensive to buy the gear, monitor and more. People outside already have access to these, and it’s a necessity for them. But in Indian homes, having a PC was never a necessity.

However, mobile games have helped PC games in a broader perspective. PUBG Mobile has especially helped because it brought in considerable viewership. When content creators occasionally shifted to PC games, it enlightened the masses and showcased the glamorous world of PC gaming.

Despite the recent PUBG Mobile ban, there hasn’t been a major shift of players to PC gaming, but yes, by the day, the viewing of these games has increased in our country. So I would say that PUBG Mobile players showed this direction to young gamers in our country.

Even star PUBG Mobile players like Ind.Snax, who is a friend of mine, are grinding Valorant for 10 hours daily to try and become the best. So, a couple of players are making the switch, but I would say that shifting from mobile to PC is like going the other way for gaming. It is tough.