Game designers architect not just worlds, but also the player's journey through time within them. PC games, anticipating longer play sessions, often build structures that encourage continuous progression. Elaborate save points, deep lore to discover, and missions that require extended focus are common. These design choices respect the player's invested time and reward sustained engagement on PC. They create a compelling rhythm that makes checking the clock an afterthought, directly warping time perception in games.

In contrast, many mobile games are structured around micro-sessions that align with a lifestyle of interruptions. Energy systems, short-level designs, and ad breaks naturally segment playtime into small chunks. This structure is pragmatic for the platform but prevents the deep narrative or strategic "flow" state. The experience remains anchored in real-world time, with clear start and stop points that regularly pull the player back to reality. This prevents the profound platform and loss of reality effect associated with longer, more absorbing formats.

The key difference lies in the intended experience scale. One platform often offers an epic novel you settle into for chapters at a time, while the other provides a collection of short stories you dip into throughout the day. Both have value, but their impact on consciousness differs. The novel's format, by demanding and supporting deeper focus level in gameplay, facilitates a stronger dissociation from the passage of time. This structural divide is a core, often overlooked, reason for the varying depth of immersion reported by players across different devices.