Mobile game porting projects require comprehensive technical overhauls to get them running smoothly on mobile devices. Various technical aspects of a game need to be assessed and adjusted for mobile game ports to get them running in the first place, and further scrutiny to get them performing at an acceptable level for players.

Of all gaming platforms, mobile platforms like Android and iOS are arguably among the most challenging to bring games to due to the technical work required. Despite mobile game ports’ challenges, it’s a fantastic platform that makes games available to huge audiences.

Optimizing Mobile Game Ports

Mobile devices have less powerful GPUs and CPUs than gaming PC setups and game consoles. This means mobile devices don’t have the raw power to run games as smoothly and at as high fidelity as consoles and PCs. To resolve this, development studios should ensure their mobile game ports are sufficiently adjusted to run well on mobile devices. This often includes reducing polygon counts of visual assets and optimizing scripts and game logic.

Moreover, mobile gaming devices have less RAM than their console and PC counterparts, making efficient memory management crucial for mobile game porting projects. To prevent memory issues, development studios should consider using techniques such as dynamic loading, asset loading and unloading, and texture optimization to ensure a smooth mobile gaming experience.

Battery life is also a unique concern for mobile game ports, except for the Nintendo Switch. Optimizing battery life requires some efficient code work and potentially making some sacrifices.

Notably, lowering frame rates can positively affect battery life though this technique should be used cautiously so that the player experience isn’t negatively affected. Developers should also look at reducing background processes where possible to enhance battery life.

UI and UX for Mobile Game Ports

For mobile game ports, the UI and UX will often need extensive reworking to work efficiently with mobile devices. More often than not, this will necessitate resizing and reworking UI elements so that they can firstly fit on mobile device screens, but also are scalable so that the UI can work optimally on the wide range of mobile devices available on the market.

Further to this, developers will need to extensively rework mobile game port controls so that they are functional and intuitive. This sometimes requires redesigning game mechanics so they can be effectively implemented alongside touch controls on mobile devices. Many development studios opt to use virtual buttons and implement gesture controls.

Platforms for Mobile Game Porting

For any mobile game porting projects, development studios need to decide whether they’ll release their mobile game ports on Android devices, iOS, or both.

Android has the biggest market share in the mobile gaming market, but developers should be aware of Android fragmentation. Android fragmentation refers to the disparate Android mobile devices on the market that use different operating system versions, screen sizes, and hardware capabilities. Developers porting games to Android should be aware of the extensive testing that Android games require because it’s such a fragmented platform.

Conversely, iOS mobile game ports are subject to a less fragmented platform. Though iOS devices come in various shapes, sizes, and hardware capabilities, they’re far less numerous than Android. This simplifies testing and optimization significantly, though development studios should ensure their testing and optimization processes are thorough so that the player experience is top-tier.

Regardless of your platform of choice, extensive testing for every mobile platform is necessary. Games coming from console and PC platforms will characteristically need extensive testing as they’re being adapted for mobile devices to ensure performance, UX, and more are at the high-quality level they need to be.

Magic Media offers an extensive range of services for gaming, entertainment, and tech projects. These include game porting for all platforms, full-cycle game development, real-time VFX, and dozens more. Contact Magic Media today to collaborate and bring your projects to the next level!

Game remakes, game porting, and game remasters are various methods of bringing existing games to new audiences. Despite these processes being similar in their end goals, their approaches to bringing existing games to new audiences couldn’t be more different.

Remastered games, game remakes, and ports are nothing new in the gaming industry, and, if anything, their popularity has skyrocketed in recent years as developers and publishers seek to double down on existing properties and present existing games to players in fresh and novel ways. At Magic Media, we have extensive experience working on projects of these kinds, and critically, we understand when and how to execute them to fulfill their potential.

Games Remakes and When to Create Them

Game remakes involve recreating an original game from the ground up, featuring completely new code, visuals, concept art, and more. More often than not, game remakes tend to be faithful to the original game in that they follow the same art direction, core mechanics, and story. Though this is generally the case, some exceptions, both big and small, exist, such as Demon’s Souls 2020 remake being faithful to the original game while changing some character designs.

From a technical perspective, game remakes are more demanding than a game remaster or game porting. The nature of remakes necessitates building a new game based on the original game from the ground up, so they are effectively full-cycle game development projects, albeit based on an existing product.

Paramount to the success of game remakes is knowing when to make them. According to studies, the best time to release a game remake is between 10 and 20 years after the original game’s release, with few games outside of this time range achieving success. Key to the success of game remakes is hardware and technological advances that can allow a remake to make significant additions that were previously impossible for the original game. The study suggests that game remakes released less than 10 years after the original could be seen as providing little added value, whereas remakes released more than 20 years after the original could fall into the category of retro gaming despite being technically new.

Putting Together a Game Remaster

Where a remake involves building a new game in the mold of the original game, a game remaster can be considered an enhancement rather than an overhaul. Developers working on a game remaster will primarily be concerned with introducing technical upgrades, such as improving frame rate and resolution, rather than introducing new content. With that said, it’s not uncommon for developers to improve game mechanics, add new in-game items, and introduce quality-of-life changes to the game.

Though not as technically demanding as game remakes, developing a game remaster requires diligent work. In addition to the expected visual and technical improvements, game remasters often launch on new hardware, most notably, new consoles as was the case with The Last of Us Remastered and God of War III’s remaster. This entails brand-new hardware for developers to get to grips with in addition to making enhancements to the game.

In contrast to releasing game remakes 10–20 years after the original release, a game remaster will generally perform better when it launches under five years after the original version’s launch. Data attributes this to increasing the game’s accessibility and coverage, often on new consoles, while the original release remains perfectly viable.

How Game Porting Differs

Game porting is different from game remakes and remasters, though often associated with these processes. Game porting is the process of bringing an existing game to a new platform or set of platforms. This is a ubiquitous practice in the gaming industry, where it’s common for games to be ported to maximize their audience on new platforms.

Among the technical challenges of game porting is developers optimizing the title for new platforms, which includes rigorous testing, adjusting in-game assets as required, and taking advantage of the destination platform’s unique features. For example, porting to mobile platforms from console and PC will often require adjusting in-game assets to be lower quality so the game runs smoother on mobile devices.

Sometimes, game porting can facilitate remastering as well. The cult PlayStation 2 classic Ico was ported to PS3 in 2011 but it also benefited from updated HD visuals, making it a remaster in addition to a port as it is the same base game that was initially released in 2001. Despite this intermingling of game development processes, the definitions of game remakes, game remasters, and game porting remain distinct.

Magic Media is a one-stop shop for all your gaming, entertainment, and tech project needs. We boast dozens of expert services including full-cycle game development, game porting, co-development, and much more. Contact us today, and let’s create magic!

Game porting refers to adapting an existing video game for other platforms. This is a heavily involved process that requires examining the game from top to bottom and making a significant number of changes so that it runs smoothly on its new destination platforms and operating systems.

Game porting is challenging, but at Magic Media, we pride ourselves on our experience and knowledge of delivering ported games to any platform. Through our extensive game porting experience, we’ve learned about its challenges and benefits first-hand, ensuring consistently high-quality ported games with every project we’re a part of.

Considerations for Game Porting

As previously mentioned, game porting necessitates thoroughly inspecting a game before the porting process can begin. One of the paramount considerations for ported games is their platforms of origin and target platforms. Though a game might run impeccably well on PC, for example, diligent work is required to adapt a game for consoles so that it runs comparably well. A game’s input methods, overall fidelity, and user experience need to be weighed against the destination platforms – what their technical specifications are, possible input methods, and ability to provide a consistent user experience.

There are many aspects to consider about specific platforms with game porting. For instance, porting to PCs forces developers to consider the countless hardware configurations possible and how to efficiently test across a range of PC setups. Porting games to consoles requires developers to think about the various guidelines and regulations that each console manufacturer has in place for releases on their platforms.

Testing and Optimizing Ported Games

The process of game porting necessitates extensive testing for each platform the game is being adapted for. Performance must be tested to ensure that frame rates reach the developer’s target, loading times are acceptable, and overall responsiveness. Graphics need to be tested to ensure that the ported game has high-quality visuals in line with the platform’s hardware capabilities. User interface testing is critical to ensure that the game’s UI is adapted for different screen sizes, resolutions, and input methods.

Without fail, every game porting project requires meticulous optimization. Performance will always need to be optimized for target platforms to achieve smooth performance. This is especially true for mobile platforms, which are invariably underpowered compared to consoles and PCs and often require visual overhauls, implementing efficient rendering techniques, and optimizing memory usage. Balance must be struck with graphical optimization too, where developers should endeavor to maximize visual fidelity as much as possible without sacrificing performance. This commonly involves reducing polygon counts, adjusting lighting effects, and reducing texture quality, especially on less powerful platforms.

Benefits of Game Porting

Though game porting requires extensive work, its benefits far outweigh the challenge of producing high-quality ported games. Ported games expand a game audience significantly, which can be particularly powerful for formerly single-platform releases such as PlayStation’s God of War or Xbox’s upcoming Sea of Thieves PlayStation 5 release. Furthermore, this forms additional revenue streams for developers and publishers. Ported games like Grand Theft Audio: Vice City, which is available on over half a dozen platforms, provide numerous revenue streams for its developer, Rockstar.

Importantly, game porting can also extend a game’s natural shelf life and future-proof it to remain accessible for years to come. Stardew Valley, for instance, which many players cite as one of the greatest games of all time, enjoys enduring success despite being released eight years ago partly thanks to its wide availability on consoles, PCs, and a wide range of mobile devices. Furthermore, ports of classic games can find new life on new platforms, such as the first Red Dead Redemption game’s recent release on Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4.

For high-quality game porting services, look no further than Magic Media. We offer an extensive range of services for the gaming, entertainment, and tech industries including full-cycle game development, co-development, and game trailer production, in addition to game porting and dozens of other services. Contact Magic Media, and let’s create magic!

At Magic Media, we prioritize delivering industry-leading quality services to our clients and that is how we stand out from the competition. With a global team composed of diverse backgrounds, cultures, and skill sets, we offer a wide range of services, from full-cycle game development to specific art production, game VFX, and video production. But how do we achieve this level of quality? What is it really like working with Magic Media?

Let’s dive into the internal processes of Magic Media’s workflow with our clients. Spoiler alert: there are no hidden technologies or secret formulas! Instead, we rely on a passionate and talented team who work collectively to deliver the results you desire. Let’s have a closer look.

Magic Media’s Outsourcing Process

When you choose to work with Magic Media, you can expect a high level of commitment, investment, and passion from our team. Our experts seamlessly integrate into your game development process, immersing themselves in your team and workflow.

To ensure this seamless integration, we have established our own processes that align with how we work. Our game development process is marked by constant communication, agile approaches, and rigorous quality assurance.

Project Initiation for the Game Development Process

Before we begin creating, coding, or utilizing our expertize, the first step in the game development process is project initiation. This is where our team leaders and yours come together to understand your requirements, goals, and desired outcomes. Together, we establish a project plan and communication pipeline to ensure an effective and streamlined operation.

Planning and Scope Definition

During this early stage, we also define the planning and project scope. If we are assisting as co-developers, it is crucial for us to have a clear understanding of the project’s direction. We discuss deliverables, timelines, and budgets. Together, we create a detailed project plan, identifying necessary resources, team members, and setting milestones.

Agile Development Approach

When it comes to the actual development work, we adopt an agile development approach. This approach is highly effective for game development, given its iterative and incremental nature. It also aligns well with our flexible, adaptive, and continuously improving work style.

Game Development Built on Communication and Client Collaboration 

While delivering high-quality services is important, ensuring that our work aligns with your vision is equally crucial. From the beginning of the project, we provide a single point of contact to ensure your voice is heard, and requests are efficiently communicated. You have access to our entire team, and we maintain regular check-ins through meetings, emails, and other project management tools.

We offer micro and macro check-ins at any point to track project progress, address challenges, and ensure we meet your expectations. Through these regular check-ins throughout the project lifecycle, you will have a clear understanding of our progress and how we align with your expectations. This direct line of communication allows us to address any concerns or queries promptly.

The Game Development Process and Quality Assurance

Quality assurance is a constant aspect of all our video game outsourcing services. Whether we are delivering art, development, or game trailers, our team has internal processes in place to ensure the promised quality is achieved.

Before any work reaches your screen, we conduct comprehensive testing, bug fixing, and iterative improvements to meet our high standards and yours. We strive to deliver our work to you with the utmost quality, meeting established milestones.

Market Research

We are committed to continuously improving the quality and efficiency of our work. Regularly assessing the game development process is crucial to stay ahead of modern trends, tools, and methodologies.

Our teams actively research market trends, investigate target audience preferences, explore new technologies, and keep an eye on our competitors. This research ensures we stay current with player interests and maintain efficient game development workflows.

With these insights, we implement new practices. Our talented game development team, consisting of artists, animators, developers, designers, and more, constantly test new technologies and methodologies. Alongside user feedback, our experts are always prepared to deliver engaging and marketable games.

Team Composition

At Magic Media, we tailor each team to suit your project’s specific needs. We don’t just provide a concept artist; we provide an artist who is genuinely interested and passionate about your game’s genre or style. Our diverse and global team ensures that we always have the right person for your project.

We don’t just want to deliver experts who can create industry-leading results. We want to provide you with an outsourcing or co-development team that is genuinely interested and enthusiastic about being a part of your work.

If you are interested in utilizing our expertize in full-cycle development, co-development, game porting, art production, game VFX, or any of our comprehensive services, please get in touch with us today. We are always ready to create magic together!

In the burgeoning world of gaming, the trend of game porting is escalating, making games more accessible across various platforms. As companies like Sony anticipate a 375% increase in PC game sales by the end of 2023, the focus on quality assurance (QA) in the game porting process is paramount.

This comprehensive guide, presented by Magic Media, delves into the intricate world of game porting and the indispensable role of QA in ensuring a seamless and enjoyable gaming experience across diverse platforms.

Unveiling Quality Assurance

In the realm of video game development, QA is a pivotal element ensuring the game’s stability, functionality, and overall enjoyment. It involves a thorough testing process to identify and rectify bugs, glitches, and other potential gameplay disruptors.

Beyond testing, QA encompasses careful documentation and robust communication channels, ensuring every identified issue is promptly and effectively resolved.

The Significance of QA in Game Development

Guaranteeing Game Stability: QA is the cornerstone for ensuring the game’s uninterrupted stability, offering a bug-free gaming experience.

Enhancing User Experience: QA stands as a guarantor of an exceptional and immersive gaming experience, ensuring every game aspect runs seamlessly.

Upholding Player Expectations: In a market brimming with discerning players, QA is pivotal in meeting and exceeding high game quality expectations.

Safeguarding Developer Reputation: Effective QA shields the developer’s reputation, ensuring the release of only top-notch, polished games.

The Game Porting Process

The game porting process involves several steps, including research and planning, code adaptation, asset conversion, testing and debugging, and release and support. Each step is crucial to ensuring the game works seamlessly on the new platform, and QA plays a vital role in each of these stages.

The Role of QA in Video Game Porting

In the porting process, QA plays a vital role in identifying and resolving technical issues, ensuring consistency across platforms, and improving the user experience. It helps in addressing compatibility issues, optimizing performance, and ensuring the game runs smoothly on all platforms.

Magic Media: Your Trusted Partner in Game Porting

At Magic Media, we are experts in navigating the complexities of quality assurance in video game porting. Our dedicated team is committed to ensuring that every game ported meets the highest standards of functionality, usability, and overall quality.

We understand the unique challenges that game porting presents, and we’re adept at identifying and resolving potential issues efficiently and effectively.

QA is indispensable in the game porting process. It helps in overcoming the challenges of adapting a game to a different platform, ensuring the release of a stable, functional, and enjoyable game. A rigorous QA process leads to positive reviews, increased player engagement, and a higher return on investment for developers.

At Magic Media we are veterans of the gaming, tech and entertainment industries, offering comprehensive services including game development, VFX, animation and full art services! Our main goal is to provide a one-stop solution for any project. If you’d like to utilize our expertize and experience in creating, game art and more, drop us a line and let’s create magic!

Game porting has become an integral part of the modern gaming industry, with the frequency of game ports releases for contemporary consoles and PC surging in recent years. For gamers using Mac systems, options have traditionally been limited, with only a handful of releases each year, ranging from popular titles to timeless classics.

Apple’s new Game Porting Toolkit launched in June 2023 with a positive reception for its ability to simplify the process of porting games to Mac systems. This tool empowers developers, including expert service providers like Magic Media, to efficiently port games from Windows to macOS. With the help of this toolkit, game ports can now be executed in a significantly more efficient manner, although the expertise of game developers remains crucial in the process.

Defining Apple’s Game Porting Toolkit

Apple’s Game Porting Toolkit is a game-changer for developers looking to port their games from Windows to macOS systems. Since its launch in June 2023, the toolkit has made it possible for titles such as Diablo IV, Elden Ring, and Cyberpunk 2077 to be playable on Mac systems. Games that were previously exclusive to Windows machines and game consoles can now potentially be among the best games available on Mac systems.

It’s important to note that although anyone can install the toolkit and start porting games from Windows to macOS, these game ports are unoptimized, meaning that performance may not be flawless. However, even without further fine-tuning, this tool provides developers with a glimpse of how their game ports could potentially function on macOS.

The Game Porting Toolkit is an ingenious solution designed to alleviate the inherent complexities of porting games to macOS. Built upon the foundation of Apple’s renowned software ecosystem, it incorporates intuitive features and a user-friendly interface that effectively reduces the traditionally steep learning curve. The toolkit leverages advanced code analysis and compatibility layers to make Windows-to-macOS game porting smoother and more efficient.

This ground-breaking toolkit fundamentally transforms the game porting process, serving as a bridge between two previously incompatible operating systems.

Utilizing Apple’s proprietary APIs and technologies, the toolkit provides developers with a unique opportunity to harness the power and sophistication of macOS without needing to completely overhaul their original game codes. This allows for the preservation of game integrity, ensuring that macOS users can enjoy the same immersive experiences as their Windows counterparts.

Still, the toolkit is not a magic wand for perfect game ports. It’s designed to do the heavy lifting, but it requires skill and experience to fine-tune the game for optimal performance on Mac systems. Developers will need to work on issues like performance optimization, resolution adjustments, and compatibility with macOS-specific hardware components.

Notably, Apple’s Game Porting Toolkit has the potential to revolutionize the game development landscape by increasing the number of high-quality games available to Mac users. Ultimately, the toolkit represents a significant stride towards fostering inclusivity and diversity in the gaming ecosystem, as it enables more developers to bring their creations to a broader audience. In a world where gaming is becoming increasingly cross-platform, Apple’s Game Porting Toolkit is undoubtedly a welcome innovation.

What Does Apple’s Game Porting Toolkit Do?

Apple’s Game Porting Toolkit functions by essentially “translating” a game from Windows into a format compatible with Apple’s architecture. This provides developers with invaluable insights into the potential performance of their games on Apple systems. By taking Windows systems and APIs, such as x86, and various Windows gaming API calls, the toolkit converts them into their Apple equivalents.

Compared to tools like CodeWeavers’ CrossOver, a Windows compatibility program designed for Mac, Apple’s Game Porting Toolkit may be less user-friendly and not intended for the average end user. Instead, it is specifically tailored to developers exploring game porting for macOS and engaging in the complete porting process. Furthermore, the toolkit integrates with popular game distribution services such as Steam, Battle.net, and more.

The Future of Game Ports to macOS

Since its initial release, Apple has supported the Game Porting Toolkit with various enhancements. The latest update addresses overall stability and performance issues, as well as 32-bit architecture support. Although the toolkit is still in its beta phase, Apple appears committed to helping game developers deliver high-quality game ports to macOS, much to the joy of developers and Mac gamers alike.

The future of game ports on macOS is bright thanks to Apple’s new Game Porting Toolkit. Game developers now have the opportunity to test port viability more efficiently than ever before and invest in optimizing their game ports for the best possible performance on Mac systems. This toolkit represents a new avenue for Magic Media to expand its constantly-growing repertoire of expert services.

At Magic Media we are veterans of the gaming, tech and entertainment industries, offering comprehensive services including game development, VFX, animation and full art services! Our main goal is to provide a one-stop solution for any project. If you’d like to utilize our expertize and experience in creating, game art and more, drop us a line and let’s create magic!

Video games have come a long way since their inception. With technological advancements, developers are not only creating new games but are also updating old ones. One way of updating video games is through remasters, remakes, reboots, and ports. In this article, we will explore each type of update and what they entail. We’ll also discuss the benefits of game updates and how they contribute to the gaming industry’s growth.

Remasters

Remasters are updates that enhance the graphics, sound, and performance of an old game while retaining its original gameplay and story. The goal is to improve the game’s quality, making it more enjoyable on modern devices. Remasters are popular among game developers because they’re a cost-effective way of updating games. Some remasters we have worked on at Magic Media include Destroy All Humans 2 Reprobed and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Remastered

Remakes

Remakes involve a complete overhaul of a game, from the mechanics and graphics to the sound and voice acting. While the story remains the same, the goal is to reimagine the game, bringing it up to date with modern standards. Remakes require more time and resources than remasters, but they offer a unique opportunity for developers to introduce new gameplay mechanics and features. 

Reboots

Reboots involve a complete re-imagination of a game’s story, characters, and gameplay mechanics. The goal is to introduce the game to a new audience while retaining its original essence. Reboots are risky because they require developers to create something entirely new while staying true to the original game’s spirit. However, when done right, reboots can be a great success. 

Ports

Ports involve bringing an old game to new devices, optimizing it for the new platform. Ports are popular among game developers because they’re a cost-effective way of making an old game available to new audiences. Ports usually involve improving the game’s graphics and performance, making it more enjoyable to play on modern devices. For example, the mobile version of Minecraft is a port of the original game, optimized for mobile devices.

Game updates are a vital part of the gaming industry. Remasters, remakes, reboots, and ports breathe new life into old games, making them more enjoyable on modern devices. Remasters and ports are cost-effective ways of updating games, while remakes and reboots offer unique opportunities for developers to introduce new gameplay mechanics and features. As technology continues to advance, we can expect more updates to old games, providing new experiences for players.

At Magic Media we are veterans of the gaming, tech and entertainment industries, offering comprehensive services including game development, VFX, animation and full art services! Our main goal is to provide a one-stop solution for any project. If you’d like to utilize our expertize and experience in creating, game art and more, drop us a line and let’s create magic!

A successful video game development company must have extensive experience in game porting projects, and to know what it takes to make them successful. In this article, we will share our top 5 game porting considerations that you need to keep in mind to ensure a smooth and effective project.

Compatibility with Target Platforms

One of the most important factors to consider when porting a game is compatibility with the target platforms. You need to make sure that the game runs smoothly and without errors on the platforms you want to target. This includes not only the hardware specifications but also the operating system and software libraries.

To achieve this, you need to thoroughly test the game on the target platforms, using emulators, virtual machines, or real devices. You also need to be aware of any differences in the platforms that may affect the game, such as input methods, screen resolutions, or storage limitations.

Optimization for Performance and Memory

Another crucial aspect of game porting is optimization for performance and memory. You need to ensure that the game runs fast and smoothly on the target platforms, without consuming too much resources. This includes optimizing the code, assets, and data structures for the specific platforms, as well as implementing features such as caching, streaming, or compression.

To achieve this, you need to have a deep understanding of the target platforms’ performance and memory characteristics, as well as the game’s requirements and limitations. You also need to be able to balance performance and quality, by making informed decisions on which features to include or exclude, and how to optimize them.

Localization and Cultural Adaptation

A third consideration for game porting is localization and cultural adaptation. You need to make sure that the game is accessible and appealing to the target audiences, by translating the text, audio, and visuals into their languages and adapting them to their cultures. This includes not only linguistic and cultural differences, but also legal and regulatory requirements, such as age ratings or content restrictions.

To achieve this, you need to work with professional translators, audio engineers, and graphic designers, who have expertise in the target languages and cultures. You also need to conduct user research and feedback, to validate and improve the localization and cultural adaptation.

Compatibility with Third-Party Libraries and Tools

A fourth consideration for game porting is compatibility with third-party libraries and tools. You need to make sure that the game works seamlessly with the libraries and tools that you use for development, testing, deployment, and distribution. This includes not only game engines, middleware, or SDKs, but also cloud services, analytics, or ad networks.

To achieve this, you need to choose the right libraries and tools for your project, based on their compatibility, reliability, and functionality. You also need to integrate them properly into the game code, by following their documentation, best practices, and troubleshooting guides.

Testing, Feedback, and Quality Assurance

A final consideration for game porting is testing, feedback, and quality assurance. You need to make sure that the game meets the expectations and requirements of the target audiences, by testing it thoroughly, collecting feedback from users and stakeholders, and ensuring its quality and reliability. This includes not only functional and performance testing, but also usability, accessibility, and compatibility testing.

To achieve this, you need to have a rigorous testing and quality assurance process, that covers all aspects of the game development cycle, from planning to release. You also need to have a feedback and communication system, that allows you to receive and respond to feedback from users and stakeholders, and to make timely and effective improvements to the game.

At Magic Media we are veterans of the gaming, tech and entertainment industries, offering comprehensive services including game development, VFX, animation and full art services! Our main goal is to provide a one-stop solution for any project. If you’d like to utilize our expertize and experience in creating, game art and more, drop us a line and let’s create magic!

Game porting is a complex process that requires thorough planning and an in-depth understanding of the source and destination hardware. For players, it might seem like little more than the same game running on a different platform, but there is an enormous amount of work that goes into high-quality ports.

Throughout the Magic Media group’s experience developing games and ports for new platforms, we’ve established a series of best practices for creating the best quality ports possible. There is no replacement for diligent work when it comes to porting games, but careful planning and execution can mitigate some of the challenges.

Planning for Portability

The path to porting your game should ideally start at the inception of a project before any development takes place. It’s good practice to include porting as part of the early roadmap so that your game can be released simultaneously on multiple platforms. This is a cost-effective measure to prevent costly redesigns and to anticipate code changes for different platforms.

Planning for portability from the beginning allows developers to use ubiquitous tools and APIs that are platform-agnostic, rather than being tied down to software that will only be compatible with select platforms. Doing this supports your game’s growth by positioning it as easily portable during development and for any subsequent porting projects. Additionally. It’s critical to establish rendering pipelines for your target platforms at the start of development. Planning for this at the beginning allows the team to understand in advance the level of fidelity to target on all platforms, which helps save time in the long term.

Using the Right Game Engines

Game porting is demanding work, even if you adhere to the best practices and implement careful planning, but using the appropriate game engine can help multi-platform porting dramatically. Unreal Engine and Unity are particularly noteworthy for their support of multiple platforms and tools to ease the difficulty of multi-platform development projects.

Both Unreal and Unity offer support for all common platforms, including PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo consoles and mobile devices. These engines give developers access to third-party plug-ins that assist with platform-specific features, APIs, and requirements. This can be a true time-saver for certain platforms and projects, especially games seeking to leverage unique features like PlayStation 5’s DualSense controller features and Xbox Series consoles’ Smart Delivery.

Thorough Testing and Optimization

Testing is of the utmost importance when aiming to deliver a game on multiple platforms. It should happen regularly, and quality assurance teams need to be exhaustive about it. Platform-specific bugs are practically unavoidable, and in the best interest of the game and developer behind it, it’s good practice to catch and resolve as many of them as possible before launch. It should be a priority that the game works as intended across all platforms.

For console development, certification needs to be a high priority. When launching your game on consoles, you’re required to comply with a technical requirements checklist (TRC) outlined by the console manufacturer. It’s critical to adhere to these requirements strictly, otherwise, it’s highly likely that your game won’t be approved for release on the platform in question. This is where testing is invaluable to your game and its potential future success.

Another essential part of high-performing ports is optimization. Regardless of the platform, changes will need to be made to accommodate for limitations, platform-specific features, and the power of various platforms. Chief among these adjustments include changes for GPU and CPU power, social features, achievement systems, in-app purchases, and more. These changes, once implemented, need to be tested rigorously to ensure that the game is performing well. 

Update and Maintenance Plan

Even the most well-executed ports are subject to bugs and technical issues after launch, so it’s important to put a plan together to tackle issues as they arise. Testing and bug fixing should continue to be a priority even after the launch period, to help support players and provide them with the best experience possible. Moreover, content updates are commonplace within the industry, and if they’re appropriate for your game and its style, they’re an effective way to keep players engaged across all platforms.

Ideally, your game has been developed with the idea of porting in mind so that even after its initial release on your target systems, further ports and updates are possible. It’s possible to release paid or free updates to your games for the most modern consoles like PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, which is a practical method of improving your title’s longevity even throughout gaming generations.

At Magic Media we are veterans of the gaming, tech and entertainment industries, offering comprehensive services including game development, VFX, animation and full art services! Our main goal is to provide a one-stop solution for any project. We love nothing more than collaborating with creative minds, so drop us a line and let’s talk!