Best answer: Yes. The most significant difference between each version is how you interact with the game by tapping on your phone screen, being hooked to a TV with a controller, or playing on your PC with a keyboard and mouse. But there are also other differences between the mobile, PC, and console versions of Genshin Impact. Since Genshin Impact is free on all its available platforms, you should play it on whatever compatible phone, console, or PC you have handy. The visuals and controls will be better on PC and PS4 (and PS5 through backward compatibility) than on mobile, but the game still works well on the phone. Controlling your actions with screen taps isn’t as easy as using a mouse or a controller. And since Genshin Impact doesn’t have official controller support at launch, you cannot hook up a PS4 controller or Xbox One Controller to your phone to play this game. So if you were hoping to use a controller or keyboard, you might want to go with the PS4 or PC versions of Genshin Impact.
Cross-saves
Genshin Impact can be played on Android, iOS, PC, and PS4. It’s supposedly also coming to the Nintendo Switch, but no release date has yet been given for that console. You can hop back and forth between playing the game on PC or mobile. However, the PS4 does not support cross-saves, so you can only play on Sony’s PS4/PS5 consoles if you start a game on this platform.
Controls and selections
Anyone playing on a PS4 will control their characters or select items via controller, while those on a PC will use a mouse and keyboard. Mobile players will spend time tapping the screen to perform these same functions. Genshin Impact does not have official controller support at launch, so you cannot connect a PS4 controller, Xbox One controller, or any other type of controller to the game.
Graphics and resolution
For the most part, the visuals will be a lot crisper on a console or PC, as seen in the video above. However, considering that phone screens are so small, you likely won’t be bothered by the lower resolution when playing the mobile version. Additionally, mobile and PC users can change graphical settings. However, anyone playing on PS4 will be stuck with the default option.
Mechanics and performance
There are likely dozens of differences between each game version, but here are some notable ones: Aiming and shooting projectiles seems easiest on PC and PS4 since a player’s fingers don’t get in the way of the screen. Mobile players can use Elemental Burst Attacks from all party members, even if a player is switched out. This is not the case for PC or PS4. Finally, there’s a bit of a lag when picking up items in the PS4 version. Players often have to wait around an item for a few seconds before registering it as something they can interact with. This doesn’t seem to be as expected of an issue on mobile or PC. The games seem to operate well enough on all platforms. However, performance will be affected by your internet connection and the device you’re playing on. You’ll also want to consider Genshin Impact’s minimum requirements before determining where to download it.
Minimum Requirements
Each platform requires different things for Genshin Impact to run successfully. Here are the minimum requirements for each version.
Minimum Requirements for Android:
- Compatibility requirements: Arm v8a 64-bit device
- Memory: 3 GB and above
- Supported system: Android 7.0 or above
- Storage: 8 GB of space
Minimum Requirements for iOS:
- iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone X, iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR, iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max, iPhone SE (2nd generation), iPad Air (3rd generation), iPad mini (5th generation), iPad Pro (2nd generation) 12.9 inches, iPad Pro (2nd generation) 10.5 inches, iPad Pro (3rd generation) 11 inches, iPad Pro (3rd generation) 12.9 inches, iPad Pro (4th generation) 11 inches, iPad Pro (4th generation) 12.9 inches
- Supported system: iOS 9.0 and above
- Storage: 8 GB of space
Minimum Requirements for PC:
- Operating system: Windows 7 SP1 64-bit, Windows 8.1 64-bit, or Windows 10 64-bit
- Processor: Intel Core i5 or equivalent
- Memory: 8 GB RAM
- Graphics card: NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 1030 and higher
- DirectX version: 11
- Storage: 30 GB of space
Minimum Requirements for PS4:
- PlayStation®4, PlayStation®4 Slim, PlayStation®4 Pro
- Storage: 30 GB of space
Genshin Impact versions: Mobile vs. PC vs. PS4
Whether playing on Android, iOS, PS4, or PC, Genshin Impact is a fun RPG. PC might be the best version since it uses cross-saves with the mobile versions and offers better handling controls. But no matter where you play this game, you’re bound to have a good time.
