• Log In | Sign Up

  • News
  • Reviews
  • Top Games
  • Search
  • New Releases
  • Daily Deals
  • Forums

Adventure Gamers - Forums

Welcome to Adventure Gamers. Please Sign In or Join Now to post.

You are here: HomeForum Home → Gaming → General → Thread

Post Marker Legend:

  • New Topic New posts
  • Old Topic No new posts

Currently online

apignarbchrissie

Support us, by purchasing through these affiliate links

   

Tablet suggestions for adventure games?

Avatar

Total Posts: 134

Joined 2013-04-13

PM

hi all.  im thinking of getting a tablet soon for school and travel/etc. i am developing really bad arthritis and its easier to push a touch screen gently than to depress/click keys/buttons. 

anyway, it got me to wondering about these ‘pc’ tablets and if they support regular pc games.  i realize theres ‘some’ android support out there for a few titles and most of the android tablets seem more affordable, (plus they also have a sleu of their own games) but it got me wondering if they could play pc games.  or if the pc-based-tablets (most of which are a bit more expensive) can handle newer adventure games?

i had an early droid phone when the smart phone thing first started and i remember putting dosbox on that which was awesome.  i guess dosbox might probably function on any of these tablets but are their specs good enough for simple modern adventure games?  i dont really get tablets specs.  they are extremely underpowered compared to any regular pc or laptop with cpu+graphics specs, but they still are able to deliver these high res 3-d graphics in their own games.  it doesn’t really make sense to me lol

anyway if anyone has had satisfaction or suggestions with any tablets and their support for adventure games, would appreciate it. :)  cheers

     
Avatar

Total Posts: 3933

Joined 2011-03-14

PM

Well there is a lot of things to consider.

First of all, you can’t run a normal windows game on a tablet, not even on a windows tablet, even though both is Windows 8 then there is two different version of W8, one for tablets and one for PC’s, and games made for pc wont run on the tablet version.

There is however as you mention, also these tablet/pc hybrids or convertibles that can act as a normal Windows 8 pc when attached to the base / keyboard, with the added ability of a having a touchscreen, and when detached from the base they act like a normal tablet. These actually comes in two different flavours, basic tablets running Windows 8 on a Intel processor, or full fledged computers with the option to detach the screen and use it as a tablet.

The problem with the first type is that they really aren’t more powerful than any other tablets. You shouldn’t expect the same performance as from a normal pc, but then adventure games typical doesn’t require that much, so it might be fine for most AG.
It might very well be what you are looking for, but personally I’m a bit sceptical.

The problem with the full fledged pc that can also be use as is tablet, is mainly that they are quite expensive. Personally I wouldn’t buy such a hybrid, it might very well be the future for computers, but it will still take some years before the technology is ready for this to work without glitches imo.

There is however also another and imo better alternative to running windows games on a tablet, and that is to have both a normal pc and a tablet, and then simply connect from the tablet to the pc using a remote desktop! The games would then physical run on the pc, but be streamed to the tablet. The tablet has to be on the same lan as the pc, so you cant use it when travelling, at least not without some special setup and a fast internet connection. I don’t know about iOS but for android there is quite a few apps that will allow you to do this, and even though I haven’t actually tested it myself, it should work without too much trouble.


All the above is really about running windows games on the tablet, but a better option is of course simply to play AG that are made for tablets. Currently there aren’t nearly as many AG for tablets as there are for pc, but it is becoming more and more common that AG is also released for tables, and there are even some that are exclusively released for iOS or Android.

If you search the database her on this site, you will see that there are far more AG for iOS then there is for Android, so if playing AG on the tablet has a high priority then an iPad 4 would probably be the best choice. (Windows tablets and Kindle Fire is really not an option, as there is about zero AG for these) If you like me however prefer Android then the best one right now is the Google Nexus 10 (2013 edition).

iPad 4 and Nexus 10 are pretty much the fastest and best tables (and the most expensive) you can get right now. And even though they can’t compete with pc’s when it comes to raw power, then you have to remember that the games are designed for tablets, meaning the the games doesn’t require the same raw power as a game designed for pc, and just as for pc games, AG generally aren’t the most demanding, so a mid level tablet might be sufficient for AG.

Personally I actually just ordered (haven’t been delivered yet) a ASUS MeMo Pad Smart 10”, it isn’t as fast or as good on other parameters as the Nexus 10, but I got it at about half the price of a Nexus 10, and it is sufficient for my needs.

Anyway even though I can’t tell you exactly what to do, I hope all the above can help you decide what you need.

P.s. Both Dosbox and Scummvm runs on android, so there shouldn’t’ be any problems running old AG.

Edit: Edited the first part a quite a bit, as I realised I had misunderstood something.

     

You have to play the game, to find out why you are playing the game! - eXistenZ

Avatar

Total Posts: 134

Joined 2013-04-13

PM

Thanks much for the reply.  Really got me started on further investigation.  :) 

I now understand that there ARE windows 8 tablets which are fully functional windows systems, and then that there are also the new stripped-down-tablets running something called ‘windows rt’.

I see that the RT are extremely underpowered so they will run sluggish and seem useless to me. those are out.

The windows 8 tablets on the other hand seem to be extremely overpriced (and excessive! i5, i7? for a tablet? sheesh).  I don’t think anyone in the market for a tablet wants a thick i7 with a heavy duty fan blowing all the time. Defeats the purpose/idea? imo.

It seems to me they could have made a middle ground.  Like heck, why not have a nice dual core with a stripped down modulated operating system (like the windows rt; BUT ALSO allow it to run native windows applications as well?  I think microsoft has been making all the wrong decisions lately.

I believe I am going to go for the nexus 10.  It seems really slick :]  at 400? not a bad price. not bad at all for what you get…I was thinking of getting the slightly cheaper samsung galaxy 10 (300) but eh, its like half the specs for 100 less. The dedicated games for android, while not having much in the realm of adventure seem really fun to try out, like the racing games and what not.  I think these, in addition to future adventures (hopefully! *crosses fingers*), and dosbox, will fulfill my needs.  cheers :)

     
Avatar

Total Posts: 473

Joined 2008-01-09

PM

Bought a Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 a few months ago and love it.  Great for business and goes toe-to-toe with the IPad in most reviews (and $200 less!......ssshhhh).  Games such as LSL Reloaded, Simon the Sorcerer and Yesterday (thru Goodle Play) are available too with more to come.

I personally find tablet-size much more enjoyable for games than the smaller handhelds which I tried-out…....screens are too small and I’m legally blind Smile

     
Avatar

Total Posts: 134

Joined 2013-04-13

PM

I posted this more than a month ago but I figured I should follow up with a final reply.

After much debate and research (a month or so’s worth, lol) I finally decided that I really do want windows.  I did a TON of investigating on tablet/laptop hybrids.  First I was certain I wanted a surface pro (800) but then I discovered it only works in one position because of it’s dumb stand and that as a pure tablet it gets too hot / heavy.  So that was out.  Doing more research I found the Lenovo Yoga 11s (also around 800).  It runs a full version of Win8 (not the crappy stripped down rt) and it folds into 4 different modes.  Really really neat.  This means that unlike the surface pro you can actually use it in your lap.  The microsoft surface tablet/laptops seem severely crippled by their design flaws.  I feel bad for microsoft because I really do like the windows 8 os. 

Anyway, with the Yoga the keyboard is more useful and the keys are full sized not like the cheapo tablets (such as android irulu) which will make it functional for typing.  It also has 2 usb ports unlike the surface’s one.  and it also runs anything out there with the intel hd 4000 integrated graphics. I was really surprised to find out that this integrated chipset is powerful enough to run demanding games/applications.  There are some other comparable tablet/laptop hybrids out there from asus and sony but I think the yoga’s multiple form factor seems the most functional of them all.  It’s really a great design.

So! Thats my new purchase. Maybe this will help somebody decide if they are looking for a similiar type of machine.  It should arrive in a few days and I can’t wait to try out adventure games on it.  I had done some research into dosbox and discovered that it doesn’t work with touchscreen yet? I think? :(  but, well… hopefully it will soon in the next release.

     
Avatar

Total Posts: 3200

Joined 2007-01-04

PM

For adventure games get the ipad. Lots of great gaming choices there.

Heart

     

I enjoy playing adventure games on my Alienware M17 r4 and my Nintendo Switch OLED.

You are here: HomeForum Home → Gaming → General → Thread

Welcome to the Adventure Gamers forums!

Back to the top