Is there a difference between mobile, PS4, and PC versions of Genshin Impact?

Which Genshin Impact version should I play?

Considering that 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) compared to mobile, but the game still works really well on a phone.

Controlling your actions with screen taps isn't as easy as using a mouse or a controller. And since Genshin Impact currently 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 currently be played on Android, iOS, PC, and PS4. It's supposedly also coming to the Nintendo Switch, but no release date has been given for that console yet. You can hop back and forth between playing the game on PC or mobile. However, the PS4 does not support cross-saves, so you'll only be able to 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 PC will use a mouse and keyboard. Mobile players will spend time tapping the screen to perform these same functions. As of right now, 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 have the ability to 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 of the game versions, but here are some notable ones:

Aiming and shooting projectiles seems to be 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 as something you can interact with. This doesn't seem to be as common 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 you're playing on Android, iOS, PS4, PC, Genshin Impact is a fun RPG. It looks like PC might be the best version to go with 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.