PUBG Ban: You can still play PUBG in India but there is a catch – Technology News

The unthinkable has happened. Starting today, millions of gamers will start losing access to the popular battle royale game, PUBG Mobile, in India. After weeks of reports and rumours, the government has finally included PUBG Mobile and PUBG Mobile Lite in the list of banned apps in the country.

The latest wave of ban sees some 118 apps taken off mobile phones in India, however, the biggest casualty is definitely PUBG Mobile — a battle royale game that is arguably one of the biggest multiplayer sensations of the last few years. PUBG Mobile’s popularity is such that it sees tens of thousands of users log into the application every day, and spend not only time but also money on this multiplayer game that has become commonplace on both Android and iOS smartphones in the country.

For the uninitiated, PUBG Mobile and PUBG Mobile Lite have been banned in the country on the backdrop of escalating tensions between India and China. The government in a press release has explained that there are serious security and data privacy concerns involving the game as its servers are based out of China.

The government claims the move to ban the game “will safeguard the interests of crores of Indian mobile and internet users” and is a decision that is “targeted move to ensure safety, security and sovereignty of Indian cyberspace.”

Now with the government tying PUBG Mobile’s ban to matters of national security, there remains little in the way of a chance for users to continue playing their favourite battle royale game.

Well, as it turns out, that’s not entirely the case.

How you can still play PUBG in India

According to the latest order by the government, only PUBG Mobile and PUBG Mobile Lite have been banned in India for now, with the government still allowing gamers access to the servers of the parent game, PUBG. On paper, the reason for this appears to be the fact that PUBG does not have any Chinese connections, and instead uses servers operated by PUBG Corp — an entity that’s based out of South Korea. This currently allows users to still enjoy PUBG in India — albeit not on mobile phones or tablets, but instead on PCs.

While this may not be ideal for all users, it still allows gamers in India access to the game, even if it’s from a platform not of their choice or convenience. But if the matter of convenience is ignored, there are actual benefits to playing PUBG on desktops and laptops. The game offers much more impressive graphics on PC, and also promises much more immersive gameplay to its users.

The only real downside is that the game on PC is paid, and also requires a good specd rig to run on. However, if these are deal breakers for you, there’s also PUBG Lite for PC, which offers almost the same gaming experience, but without a fee, and the need for a powerful gaming PC.