PUBG Mobile is now available as a free download for the iOS and Android in the United States, following the soft launch in Canada just a few days ago.
PUBG Mobile brings the PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds experience to smartphones and tablets, after the game single-handedly pushed the Battle Royale genre to prominence with its PC release. Does it play well on mobile devices, and is it better than Fortnite Mobile?
Download 'PUBG Mobile' For Free On iOS And Android
PUBG Mobile is now available in the United States as a free download for iOS and Android devices, unlike its versions for the PC and Xbox One. The mobile game is a full-featured port of the original title, faithfully recreating PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds in smartphones and tablets. It will be released to more regions at a later date.
PUBG Mobile enables a free-to-play environment by selling in-game currency in exchange for real-world money. The currency can then be used to unlock loot boxes and cosmetic items that players can use on their avatars in the multiplayer shooter.
How Does 'PUBG Mobile' Play?
For the uninitiated, the basic goal of the Battle Royale genre popularized by PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds is to be the last man standing in solo matches, or the last group standing in team matches.
Upon downloading PUBG Mobile, the app will connect to Facebook before allowing players to create their profiles and avatars. The app will then scan the player's device and make a recommendation on the graphical settings that will be applied.
Gamers can then jump into the action, with the controls tweaked for mobile devices. There is an on-screen joystick on the left for movement, and a variety of on-screen buttons on the right for various actions.
"Based on our preliminary tests of the live American version, this famously unoptimized game is way more playable — even on older, legacy devices — than it has any right to be," wrote ArsTechnica's Sam Machkovech.
Is 'PUBG Mobile' Better Than 'Fortnite Mobile'?
According to Carter Dotson of Touch Arcade, while Fortnite Mobile is the exact same game on mobile compared to consoles, PUBG Mobile plays more like a game that is native to smartphones and tablets. Dotson added that PUBG Mobile "feels like a better game right now" but points out that all Fortnite versions will always have the same content, while PUBG Mobile may not get the same updates as PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds on the Xbox One and PC.
However, both PUBG Mobile and Fortnite Mobile exceed expectations on how well they translate to iOS and Android devices from consoles and PC. Players will simply have to choose between the realism of PUBG or the world-building elements of Fortnite.
