While many of us are well aware that Old School RuneScape (OSRS) is vastly more popular than Jagex’s more modern RuneScape 3, what some of us may not be aware of is the impact OSRS Mobile had on this.

According to MisplacedItems before the release of the mobile edition, OSRS was maintaining a steady player count around the 50,000 mark. However, after the release of the handheld edition the player count exploded, reaching around 200,000 at any given time.

Given, this quickly died back to a steady average of 90,000 players—but we can’t forget that means the mobile edition almost doubled the game’s player base!

The big question is; why is the mobile version so popular?

A Longstanding MMORPG for Mobile

Although many have tried, it’s fair to say that the mobile market is not known for its eminently bustling MMORPGs. Thus, when Jagex brought OSRS to mobile it brought what was lacking—a long-standing MMO with a committed player base and systems which have kept players entertained for decades.

But ORSR Mobile was even more than that; it was a PC MMO on a mobile device.

This undoubtedly meant that a whole host of different player types felt invited to join—regardless of whether they were new to RuneScape or veterans. As OSRS officially transitioned to free to play, more casual players could easily drop in making this even more true.

Low Requirements

OSRS clearly isn’t a game which requires impressive specs for PC—being a reboot of the game from back in 2007. This allowed the game’s port to mobile to be one content with relatively low specs.

For example, the official requirements are Android 5.0 or above or iOS 10.0. Seeing as we are now on Android 11 and iOS 14, it’s fair to say that a good portion of all mobile devices sold or used today will be able to play the game well.

This, again, allows OSRS to reach a much larger player base, drawing in players old and new.

It’s a Good Game

Of course this is subjective, but as a game which survived over a decade then was literally brought back from the grave due to popular demand, it’s pretty clear that a lot of people would agree with this statement. 

What’s more, though is that OSRS continues to evolve. It may be a throwback to the heyday of RuneScape, but it is also receiving constant updates, independent to those of RuneScape 3. This means that it is still very much alive and well, providing players with the astounding old-school content while continuing to build on that solid, and much loved, foundation.

Some Unique Perks

While the mobile edition may not give you and de-facto perks, players have found ways to integrate the benefits of playing on touchscreen into gameplay. For example, fletching darts requires constant clicking and mouse movement to be successful on PC, but with the touch-driven mobile version players are able to do this much more effortlessly. This also rubs off on other activities such as fishing, or navigation as a whole.

That said, if you’re looking to cut out some of the grind found in OSRS, why not check out Eldorado.gg. You can boost your account directly or get your hands on gold and hard-to-obtain items, putting you out in front.

Through all of this, it’s easy to see why so many players choose mobile as their preferred device for indulging in the world of Gielinor. And with the player base remaining strong, it’s clear that OSRS will be around for years to come.