The two biggest video games in the world right now are PUBG and Fortnite, and both have only grown bigger than ever now that they're landing on mobile devices.
By all accounts, Epic's colorful, almost Pixar-like shooter is the bigger of the two, dominating Twitch, YouTube and social media. But PUBG is still one of the top games on Steam, Xbox One and Android, and with good reason: While it may not be the phenomenon that Fortnite has become, PUBG is still an excellent game.
Now both games are out on mobile devices, though Fortnite is only available in limited 'event' releases on iOS with a later Android release. (See compatible iOS devices here.)
I've played each game on mobile devices---PUBG on my Galaxy S8 Plus and Fortnite on my iPad Mini 4---and I have to say that both are really great mobile ports. Both games have quickly become some of my favorite mobile distractions out there. So how do the two differ and which is better?
Let's go through several aspects of each game and pick a winner.
The UI
When it comes to mobile shooters like this, the user interface is a really big deal.
Here's what PUBG looks like:
And here's what Fortnite looks like:
The two look pretty similar but feel very different. I find that PUBG's button layout is much more intuitive with the various icons easier to reach without accidentally pressing the wrong icon. In particular, the backpack feels too intrusive in Fortnite, while it's tucked neatly out of the way in PUBG.
This is partly because Tencent, PUBG's mobile and Chinese publisher, has a lot of experience in mobile game design whereas Epic is more accustomed to designing for PC and consoles. Likewise, Fortnite is in an early release state and will likely see many more tweaks and improvements in the coming months. Bad button placement is an easy fix.
- Winner: PUBG
Graphics
It's astonishing how good both these games look. PUBG looks almost identical to the PC/Xbox One version and Fortnite looks almost identical to its other versions. As with those other versions, I can't objectively tell you which game looks better. It really all comes down to style.
PUBG is a military-style shooter with realistic graphics. The characters look like real human beings. The guns look like real guns. The snozberries taste like snozberries.
Fortnite is much more colorful and cartoony. As noted above, it's almost Pixar-like in terms of art style. Both games look fantastic on mobile devices.
- Winner: Tie
Performance
Here's me playing Fortnite on an iPad Mini 4:
Here's my son playing PUBG on my Galaxy S8 Plus:
I have to say, PUBG feels better and seems to perform a bit better on mobile, but that could easily change after these early days of Fortnite on iOS.
- Winner: PUBG
Unique Mechanics
In a perfect scenario, both games would steal one another's unique mobile mechanics so that both Fortnite and PUBG (and we players) could benefit from these clever designs.
- In Fortnite, one of the coolest mechanics unique to mobile is the audio-visual cues. When someone is approaching you not only hear their footsteps, you see tiny footstep icons pop up in the direction of the approaching bogie. This is especially useful on a tablet without headphones or muted, it's a design feature that makes this game much more accessible to deaf people.
- In PUBG, when you swipe all the way up on the movement stick you can lock into an auto-sprint. This frees up your left hand completely, and makes it easier to keep a fast pace moving across long distances. It's such a simple quality of life mechanic, but it really makes a difference.
Both games have backpack icons, a lower slate of gun/gear buttons, and buttons for jumping, crouching and, in PUBG, sprawling out on your belly. Both also have aim icons, though in PUBG you'll aim in first-person whereas that only happens with certain weapons in Fortnite.
In other words, outside of the two unique mechanics listed above, these games play almost identically to their console/PC counterparts.
- Winner: Tie (and they should each steal the other's unique mechanic.)
Picking Stuff Up / Opening and Shutting Doors
Tiny screens and touch controls make picking stuff up, opening doors and so forth a little trickier. Thankfully both games have an auto pick-up feature.
In PUBG you can turn this feature off and on very easily on the screen itself. When it's activated, you'll pick up anything that you need and automatically equip it if it's an attachment. Essentially the game automatically picks up the best stuff and ignores the rest unless you tap the icon to pick it up manually. If you pick up a scope for your rifle, it will automatically attach it. If the attachment doesn't fit any of your guns, you won't pick it up. This is incredibly handy, taking much of the game's busy work out of the picture. If you have a level 2 backpack equipped but come across a level 3 backpack, it will automatically swap it out unless you have this feature disabled.
In Fortnite there's also auto pick-up but it's less full-featured in part because the game itself is much simpler and more streamlined. There are no scopes or silencers in Fortnite---only guns. There are fewer items overall and less inventory management to contend with. The game has none of PUBG's auto-sorting, however, so if you have a common weapon equipped and come across a rare version of it you need to swap it out manually. But it's still pretty easy to pick up ammo, building supplies and so forth just by walking over them. You can turn this auto pick-up feature off in the menu.
In PUBG you'll need to tap a button that pops up right next to a door to open and close it. In Fortnite simply walking through doors opens them and tapping on the door shuts it. Both are pretty easy and well-designed.
I have to say, overall I prefer PUBG's auto pick-up system. It makes the complexity of that game as simplified as Fortnite. Fortnite definitely still has room to improve. The fact that PUBG's backpack icon is also better placed certainly also helps.
- Winner: PUBG
Map Size/Round Length
Both PUBG and Fortnite essentially copy their PC/console maps for each respective mobile version. This means the PUBG mobile map is pretty huge and Fortnite's is quite a bit smaller but still pretty huge.
What this means is that you're likely to play in much longer PUBG matches than Fortnite. For mobile players, this gives Fortnite a clear edge. But I would argue that both games need smaller maps than either has on offer. A mobile battle royale should be quicker with less downtime since mobile players are often on the go and accustomed to snappier matches.
Still, Fortnite's faster pace and smaller map is better suited than PUBG for mobile play. While both games could do better, it has a definite advantage.
- Winner: Fortnite
Bots
One thing you'll notice right away playing PUBG on mobile devices is the fact that it's filled with bots---at least at first. When you start out, the game eases you into things by populating the match with a bunch of AI. These bots are generally easier than other players, and certainly less of a challenge than highly skilled players. So you'll win some matches you might not otherwise win until you've played for a lot longer on PC or console.
That might seem a little sneaky, but I think it's actually a pretty cool way to introduce people to the game. It might not be an accurate representation of how difficult the game truly is, but it's also a good way to get familiar with the mechanics; a tutorial, if you will.
Fortnite should absolutely do something similar.
- Winner: PUBG
Mouse & Keyboard
Here's where things get a bit hairy for PUBG. Already we're hearing about the disparity between touchscreen and mouse and keyboard players. Already we're hearing the doom and gloom reports that this could ruin the mobile game for many, with mouse & keyboard players dominating every round.
If anything, this might serve as a cautionary tale for Fortnite, which has yet to enable mouse and keyboard. If anything, it could cause even more of a disparity between players using touch and those using a mouse and keyboard setup if only because of the building mechanics (but also aiming.)
For now, thankfully, Fortnite has no support for external controllers.
- Winner: Fortnite
Cross-Play
One thing that Fortnite does that PUBG doesn't is cross-play and a universal account across all platforms. This means that when you login to your mobile Fortnite app you're playing on the same account that you have on your PS4 and your PC and all progress and items carry over from one to the next.
You can hop on any of these accounts and play with anyone on any platform---so I could hop on my PS4 and play with someone on PC or an iPad (just not PS4 and Xbox One because of antiquated and incredibly silly console war nonsense.)
PUBG has none of this, so it's definitely a few steps behind in that regard. It's not a big deal---I don't actually want to do cross-play between my iPad against PC players---but I do like how slick and easy it is to just play on any platform with one account.
- Winner: Fortnite
Cost
Both games are free, but I prefer Fortnite's micro-transactions to PUBG's loot box system. Also, since Fortnite is free on all platforms that makes it even more appealing. You still have to pay $30 for PUBG if you don't want to play on mobile.
Fortnite edges out PUBG here simply because any items you purchase will cross over between each version of the game. You have a cool skin you got playing on PS4, you can still wear it on your iPhone. Not so in PUBG.
- Winner: Fortnite
Availability
Right now, Fortnite is only available on iOS and only to a limited crop of gamers. PUBG is available in dozens of countries on both iOS and Android and supports too many different phones to count. While Fortnite wins when it comes to all the non-mobile platforms it's available on---PS4 and Mac, unlike PUBG---PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds is the clear winner here.
- Winner: PUBG
Verdict
In the end, both these mobile iterations of the two most popular video games in the world right now are great. I'm thrilled that such faithful ports have been made for both PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds and Fortnite: Battle Royale. If I had to pick a favorite, I'd say the same thing I say for the PC/console versions: It just depends on my mood. Sometimes I like the fast, goofy matches you get in Fortnite. Sometimes I prefer the slower, more tense matches in PUBG.
Just going by these categories, I show 4 Fortnite wins, 2 ties and 5 PUBG wins, so it's PUBG for the win---but only by a hair. And Fortnite will almost certainly make huge improvements over the coming weeks. Also, since one of PUBG's wins was simply its availability on Android, this means that once Fortnite is out on both iOS and Android it will at the very least be a tie.
Stay tuned as we keep playing and covering both games.
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