If you’re a gamer, you’ll be constantly trying all kinds of games and devices to find an exciting new experience. If you’ve never used a tablet before, gaming on one would be exciting. There are 3 main types of tabs available – IOS, Android, and Windows. The last 2 are the most used, and you may be wondering which of them is worth your time. Let’s discuss this below.

The App Store

If you’ve ever visited the Windows app store, you’d know that it’s a mess. Although there is a selection of apps, it’s nowhere as extensive as Android. Many believe that the organization of the store isn’t as good, but this is subjective. As a gamer, you’re regularly looking for the hottest new releases, so the Android store is right up your alley.

A good thing about the Windows store is that its apps are seen in desktops too. A lot of them are legacy apps – they’ve been used by businesses to run themselves for a very long time. To a businessman, this makes the devices tempting, but it doesn’t interest you.

Does Size Matter?

Something that people don’t enjoy about Apple’s iPads is the limited options available. This isn’t the case for Windows and Android ones. You’ll easily find a plethora between 7-15 inches. Windows tablets are especially known to be big as many love plugging keyboards into them, using them as laptops. A popular choice is the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 – it’s a whopping 12 inches.

This doesn’t mean that you won’t find a large Android tab, though – The Huawei MediaPad M5 is almost 11 inches. But an Android tablet won’t generally be over 10”.

For a gamer, size matters. Tablets have stunning displays – they provide a more immersive gaming experience than phones. That’s why the bigger, the better, so Windows tablets win this round.

Docking Stations

Docking stations are one of the best things that have happened to tablets. They are plugged into their USB ports, letting peripherals be plugged into the device, to turn it into a full desktop station. For a gamer, this is a dream as you can go from playing your favorite mobile games to League of Legends and other desktop-focused games.

The sad news is that you can’t attach docking stations to Android tablets – most of them come with USB ports, but you might only be able to attach keyboards or mice to them. Many Android tablets come with HDMI ports, though. You can watch your favorite vids on your television or monitor, but it’s not the same thing as a docking station.

Similar to Android tabs, iPads are iffy about docking stations – so it’s not the end of the world. For a long time, iPads weren’t made to be turned into mini-computers. However, Apple is changing its view on this.

Attach Peripherals

Some Android tablets accept a range of peripherals. Not only would you be able to attach keyboards and mice, but you’d be able to do so wirelessly. They transform them into laptops, but you aren’t getting a full desktop experience as with a docking station.

Although this is great, the range of peripherals you’ll be able to attach aren’t as extensive as with Windows tablets – you probably won’t be able to attach a hard drive. When it comes to Windows tabs, you’ll see them all able to handle peripherals, which isn’t true for Android ones.

This is unfortunate as if you’re a photographer or videographer, you won’t be able to work on the move.

However, know that iPads couldn’t support USB drives until recently.

Run Multiple Apps

Who doesn’t love to game while talking to their friends and listening to music? If you game on your PC, this is very easy. It isn’t as much on a tablet, depending on the OS it runs. Windows was made to run multiple programs at once – how else would computers survive? Although Android tabs can do it too, they’re not as good. This is especially true for Android tabs that don’t have much RAM – those with 1-2 GB will force close whatever is running in the background.

Viruses

Whether you’re a gamer or not, everyone hates viruses. They are the bane of a gamer’s existence as torrenting files (we’re all guilty of it) will leave you susceptible. You’ll be met with a myriad of them if you use a Windows tablet. It’s the same operating system as desktops, so this shouldn’t be a surprise. Of course, Android tabs are susceptible too, but the level at which the two devices are affected is different by leaps and bounds.

How Much Are You Willing To Spend?

Without a doubt, there are more Android tablets than Windows types. Google allows official and unofficial tabs to be produced. The open nature of Android lets manufacturers install various specs into their devices. If you compare an affordable Android tablet with a Windows one that costs the same, you’ll see that the former would come with better specs. For example, Amazon’s Fire HD 10 is known to be one of the best media tablets around, yet it only costs around USD 120.

When it comes to gaming, a large screen is great. However, specs matter – you want a beast of a processor. If you’re on a budget, it’s clear that an Android tab would scratch your itch.

Final Thoughts

So, which of the two is best for a gamer? This depends on the type of person you are. If you’re planning on using your tablet as a mini desktop, Windows tabs are right up your alley. The ability to connect them to docking ports and turn them into a desktop is a major benefit. The devices can also accept a myriad of peripherals. What you need to remember about Android devices is that they’re much cheaper. You’ll also get more bang for your buck if you compare an Android tablet with a Windows one of the same size. What’s more, the Android app store is more extensive than its counterpart.