How Has Slot Machine Interface Design Evolved Over Time?
I still find it incredible that some people have been playing online fruity machines for thirty years, ever since the first one arrived in 1994. I didn’t start playing them until around 2014 or 2015, but I would still consider myself a seasoned pro or armchair expert on the subject.
Over the years, I’ve played countless online fruit machines on a regular basis, and I have witnessed many changes. They have dramatically evolved over the years, and although the basic concept has remained the same, the online fruit machines of today look worlds apart from those early ones.
On this page, I will be taking a closer look at how, in particular, the online fruit machine design interface has changed over the years and how it is now more user-friendly than ever. I will also reveal some of the most notable developments that have made them more fun and engaging to play.
Some of the things I will be discussing here are the social elements that have been added to help foster a sense of community and the numerous customisable settings that can be adjusted to enhance the experience on a personal level.
I will also briefly look at various other innovative interface elements that have helped take them to the next level, such as the inclusive features commonly found in today’s hit titles, the bigger and more responsive player controls, the more logical and intuitive layout most have, and more.
How has the online fruit machine interface design changed over the past three decades?
When I first started playing, some of those earliest fruitys were still available to play on a handful of sites, plus I’ve seen screenshots/videos of those early online fruitys and seen first-hand how much they have changed throughout the gradual evolution process.
The most notable providers who helped start it all and are still going strong today are the following award-winning companies:
- NetEnt
- Play’n GO
- IGT
- Playtech
- Microgaming (which is now GamesGlobal)
These well-established providers are constantly looking for ways to improve their content by embracing the latest technological trends and innovations, which is reflected in their content.
They have always listened to player feedback to improve their designs by using the latest technological developments and computer programming software that makes it possible to create this kind of digital content.
Most notably, the interface design is now more intuitive and user-friendly than ever. These companies continue to simplify the interface as much as possible and to not overwhelm anyone who plays their content. These new elements also allow people to tweak certain aspects to improve their experience.
For example, when you play any of the online fruit machines, especially the ones that a team of experts have reviewed on the Online Slot UK website, you are generally greeted with an animated logo of the fruity after it has finished loading, also known as the splash screen.
I’ve found that some fruitys have a box that you can check or uncheck that says, ‘don’t show me next time,’ so you can be taken straight to the reels instead of going to the splash screen animations each time you play.
You can enter the game either by clicking or tapping the spin button or anywhere else on that screen to be taken to the reels. When you arrive at the reels, each fruity is different in terms of how the buttons are laid out, but most of the time, it’s easy to understand what each button does.
The spin button is usually the largest button, but before hitting it to spin the reels, you might want to adjust the staketo a more comfortable value using the other responsive controls.
I’ve also noticed in most online fruitys that the ‘cog’ or ‘volume’ icon usually lets you adjust or mute the sound.
The question mark or information icons usually take you to the paytable and tell you everything you need to know about it on a second screen away from the reels, such as the value of each symbol, each symbol’s function, how the bonus features work, it’s average RTP% payout rate, basic rules, and so on.
Hardly any of these adjustable settings/features/options were available in the older fruitys, only the option to view the paytable. In some fruitys today, you can also hover over or click on a symbol on the reels to view its value instead of heading to the paytable.
Some also allow you to increase/decrease the graphics quality for optimal viewing pleasure based on how fast or slow your internet speeds are.
What else is new?
In some of the latest fruitys I’ve tried, such as the Immortal Romance 2 online fruity from GamesGlobal, which arrived in 2024, you can find even more overlay interface features and options, where you can view things like the top wins/recent wins (yours and other people who have played this one).
You can even change the music playing in the background, read more about the characters’ backstories, make in-game deposits with links to the cashier/banking section, watch the behind-the-scenes videos of the game being designed and produced, and so much more.
Modern interface designs like this are completely changing how we interact with online fruit machines, making them more engaging and immersive than ever.
Some of them have also included social elements like chat features or leaderboards, where you can engage with the wider community using the text chat messaging feature, which makes for a far less solitary experience. In leaderboard fruitys, you can compete against others in your favourite titles to win free spins or cash prizes.
The design interface in the world’s best online fruitys has been optimised to work well on almost any modern smartphone, laptop, desktop computer or tablet and in most web browsers, meaning they are also now more accessible than ever.
Today’s online fruitys have come a long way from those early ones, which only had a spin button and paytable.
They are now far more interactive, and I’ve found that because of these modern design elements that commonly feature in today’s hit titles, it takes much longer for me to get bored with my favourites than I sometimes did with the older fruitys.