Over the past few years, the world online has exploded into battle royale madness, with the launch of some really huge games. One of these is PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, or PUBG to its friends.

It was originally launched as a PC game – still called PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds – while the mobile version of the game as streaked off to become one of the most played and most popular games on mobile devices.

PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds Mobile game is published by Tencent Games and is available for Android and iOS (i.e., iPhone).

The game started phased roll-out from 19 March 2018 and went on to become one of the most downloaded and played games on both Android and iOS. In September 2020 PUBG Mobile was banned in India, many believe because of tensions between China and India.

You can find the Android version on Google Play and the iOS version on the Apple App Store. It is updated on a month basis, with new content, maps and items to purchase.

PUBG Mobile minimum requirements

PUBG Mobile game is a persistent online game, so you’ll need a connection to the internet to play – be that via mobile network or Wi-Fi – but the lower the ping the better.

The tech specs for Android are Android 5.1 and higher and at least 2GB of RAM. A PUBG Lite version has run for a couple of years, but will be closed down on 29 April 2021. Most modern phones can play the full version of PUBG Mobile.

The iPhone version needs iOS 9.0 or later, so a full range of iPhone models back to iPhone 5s are supported and iPads back to iPad Mini 2, as well as iPod touch 6-gen.

The game is PEGI 16 or Teen rated, with in-game chat that’s unmoderated (but can be turned off) and blood effects when shot – although these are green by default, rather than red.

PUBG Mobile: The basics of gameplay

Battle royale basically means all against all, a bit like The Hunger Games where you start with nothing and have to scavenge and collect weapons and equipment. The game is ultimately a battle to the last player standing, with 100 players on an 8 x 8 km island – although there are smaller maps and different game modes.

There are three main modes of play: solo, duo and squad, with the latter letting you team up with three other players for a team of four. Each is a little different with various pros and cons, the big pro of team play being that have people to support you, revive you and bring an element of co-operative tactics to the game.

The game starts with you parachuting onto the game island. On landing your mission is to gather everything you can to help you win, from medical supplies to weapons, with a wide range of weapons and modifications for those weapons.

The islanda are a mixture of urban and rural environments, detailed in the map in the top right-hand corner of the game, and the full area is initially playable, but the play areas decreases in size as time progresses.

This forces the players closer together with ever decreasing circles, those left outside the safe play space will start to take damage and eventually die. The game reaches its climax when the last few players are condensed down into a small space and one player or team emerges as the victor.

Each game can last up to about 30 minutes if you’re one of the last standing. Of course, you can die almost as soon as you’re on the ground.

PUBG Mobile controls and experience

The Mobile game provides the same gameplay elements as the PC and Xbox game, but uses on-screen controls. These can be customised for a number of different layouts and elements to suit the size of your device or preferences.

You can also change the controls for driving vehicles in the game, of which there are a number of options.

The gameplay is surprisingly good and smooth, although there’s an advantage for those with bigger displays and more powerful phones. There are a number of graphics settings you can use and the game will automatically select one. It’s advisable to close down everything else, turn up the brightness and volume for the best experience.

You can find a full range of PUBG Mobile tips and tricks right here.

How much does PUBG Mobile cost?

The game itself is free to download and free to play. There is a rewards system within the game that will let you earn coins for your participation and completing various challenges – like login every day, travel a particular distance or survive a particular length of time.

These coins can then be used to buy items in the game – like clothing. Otherwise you have to collect the clothing in the game and you start in your underwear.

You can buy in-game currency to purchase a wide-range of skins and accessories.