Imagine, as a gaming fan, having invested in an Android smartphone or the latest Apple iPhone only to find yourself unable to play a game of poker against someone (even one of your closest friends), all because you don't share the same device.

What game are you more excited for? RT ~ Black ops 4

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Fav ~ Red Dead Redemption 2 pic.twitter.com/F9EVte3Jxs — CODBattles (@CODBattlesUS) May 3, 2018

This may sound preposterous but the truth is that the companies and brands involved in certain aspects of the gaming world don't just hinder gamers playing against each other on different consoles; they actively seem to not want this sort of co-operative play to happen. This is all despite the fact that it is blindingly obvious to anyone in the gaming scene wanting to play against someone else that they don't really care what console their opponent is playing on, as long as everyone is on a level playing field.

While games like Red Dead Redemption 2 are looking to try to make this kind of issue one that belongs firmly to the past, the fact is that gamers are being denied an opportunity to play as they want to by the likes of Sony and Microsoft, due to the fear that it will harm them both in the selling of their own consoles and products.

Casinos prove why it shouldn't matter

Gaming fans are always going to pick the best console available to them but this is only going to be the best console in their subjective opinion. If developers and brands were to work more closely together, it would help all involved to strive to create better, more exciting devices with more user-friendly features. In fact, any developer to embrace cross-platform gaming would instantly find themselves popular with the gamers themselves. We've seen the same trend emerge with mobile gaming, with games able to be played across platforms and devices. Indeed, while the number of slot games available, the $1000 welcome bonus, and the gameplay experience all rank highly in this Spin Palace detailed review, consumers also demand that their operator of choice offers games that cross platforms. If this can be done so readily in the mobile gaming world, why not the console gaming world?

Stagnation and frustration?

Perhaps the most interesting question to ask about the intransigence of the console gaming world to move with the times and quickly incorporate cross-platform gaming on all titles is regarding the risks in not doing so. Indeed, while Nintendo has clearly decided to try to take on mobile gaming and the quick, easy to play games it offers by allowing gamers to play them on the Nintendo Switch, few other console makers seem to realize that annoying your core market by holding back enhanced gaming is not going to help brands take on the growing specter of mobile gaming as a real rival to people actually buying a console.

Taking the bus to work just became awesome again! #nintendoswitch #supermario #mobile #gaming pic.twitter.com/GEFx9oFlhy — Ross P (@ItsMeRossP) October 31, 2017

 With companies like Atari, Sega, and even Nintendo have previously been nearly down and out in terms of being relevant in this world of console gaming, it would seem to make sense that, in a crowded gaming landscape, those looking to survive should prioritize the ease of playing games online in an easy way, in contrast, to simply trying to lock friendship groups and players into using one console.