Esports vs. Gaming: What’s the Difference?

Gaming has become more than just a hobby in recent times; it's a medium everyone can access, be it mobile, PC, or console—it’s everywhere. But wait, isn’t gaming just playing video games? Well, on one side there is streaming, but the other side holds esports. There’s a subtle yet significant difference between gaming and esports, and understanding this difference can shed light on what you can focus on should you take this “relationship” further. 

Take it back to the basics

Gaming, in its simplest form, refers to playing video games. As stated earlier, it could be on your smartphone, console, computer, or now the prevalent handheld consoles. This is also not limited to the type of game as well, because you can be playing Tetris since it is a enjoyable form of entertainment. Be it shooters or simple puzzle games, gaming on something digital is considered “video gaming.” It’s a way to unwind, socialize, and sometimes detach oneself from the real world.  

In comes Esports 

Esports stands for electronic sports, and it’s like the professional leagues of the gaming world. Your pops may have his eye on games like basketball or baseball, but esports cover games like CS:GO, Valorant, Apex, and many more. Gaming can be categorized on the casual side, while esports involve organized competitions where skilled players battle it out for a prize. 

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These competitions can range from small local tournaments to grand international events, complete with flashy arenas, an enthusiastic community, and huge prize pools. To give an example, the largest prize pool for esports was The International 2021 from DOTA, clocking in at 40 million USD! 

To be clearer, we have the following key differences: 

• Competition. Gaming and esports both have a competitive edge, and both sides can rage. However, esports players are paid to continuously perform their best against other paid players. Gaming can be solitary and aimed to be a great pastime, while esports conduct their own training routines, strategy meetings, and other things that refine their skills. 

• Profession. Esports elevate gaming to a professional level. Just like traditional sports, esports players have coaches, sponsors, contracts, and fans. They dedicate significant time and effort to master their chosen games and compete against the best in the world. Gaming, however, remains to be a hobby for most. However, if you take the route of streaming or content creation, you can also make gaming your profession. 

• The fans. Not all gamers are esports fans; most, if not all, esports fans are gamers. Some fans of casual gaming often follow casual streamers as well, while competitive players tend to dwell media consumption on esports tournaments. 

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In essence, gaming is about playing video games for fun and entertainment, while esports takes gaming to a whole new level, with its focus on competition, professionalism, spectatorship, and bountiful prizes. Whether you're a casual gamer or an esports enthusiast, both worlds offer unique experiences and opportunities to explore the limitless possibilities of virtual worlds. But always remember that gaming is made to unite us in a thrilling world of fun.