QUALITY ASSURANCE

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What is game quality assurance (QA)?

Game quality assurance (QA) is the systematic process of testing video games to identify and document bugs, glitches, and performance issues before and even after release. QA goes well beyond basic functionality testing. It evaluates gameplay mechanics, performance optimization, user experience, and overall player satisfaction. The primary goal is to ensure games meet quality standards and provide a smooth, engaging experience for players. QA teams test everything from core gameplay features and audio systems to user interfaces and compatibility across different platforms and devices.

What's the difference between QC and QA in game development?

Quality Control (QC) and Quality Assurance (QA) are complementary but distinct parts of the quality process. QC – often referred to as game testing – focuses on quantitative verification: executing test cases, identifying defects, and validating that each feature performs as expected. It’s a reactive process that ensures the product meets its defined technical requirements. QA, by contrast, takes a qualitative, preventive approach. It defines the standards, workflows, and acceptance criteria that guide development from the start. QA teams oversee the entire quality strategy – designing test plans, ensuring compliance with platform requirements, monitoring build stability, and driving continuous process improvement. In short, QC finds issues; QA builds the framework that prevents them.

Why is QA important for games?

Game QA protects your revenue, reputation, and game quality in an increasingly competitive market. Quality problems multiply costs exponentially: a bug caught during alpha or beta might cost a few hundred to fix, but the same issue post-launch could cost thousands in patches, support, and even lost sales. Side’s comprehensive approach covers everything from functionality and certification testing to compatibility across mobile, PC, console, and VR platforms, ensuring optimal game performance regardless of where your players experience it.

Why should we outsource our game QA instead of keeping it in-house?

Outsourcing QA to a company like Side gives you immediate access to specialized expertise that would take years to build internally. Dedicated QA partners bring decades of experience building structured quality processes tailored to games, covering everything from test planning and workflow design to risk assessment and compliance validation. By outsourcing QA, studios gain access to a mature quality framework, global coverage, and the flexibility to scale up or down as production demands evolve – without the fixed costs and ramp-up time of managing an internal QA department.

What are the stages of the game testing lifecycle?

The game testing lifecycle is integrated throughout a game’s development, as early as possible. At Side, we offer Dev QA during early phases, embedding our team to catch issues before they compound, and bringing knowledge of different languages, tools, APIs, and microservices to better prepare your game. Our standard process includes functionality testing using TMMI standard practices, certification testing, and comprehensive compatibility testing across our global lab covering PC, Mac, mobile platforms, and VR environments. We continue through automation implementation, playtesting with real players and AI-driven insights, and penetration testing for security compliance. The process doesn't end at launch – our Live Ops capabilities ensure ongoing quality through updates, patches, and content releases.