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Sometimes the best things come in small packages, but other times we crave the biggest of the big. This is especially the case in entertainment, where size can take an experience from engaging to overwhelming. Whether the size is deliberate or more incidental, we tracked down a few of the world’s biggest examples of common forms of entertainment. So, which would you like to try, and which would consider crossing the line of inappreciable excess?
Movie Screens
When we watch a movie on the big screen we want to see the biggest screen we can. This, alongside paying too much for snacks, is a huge part of why we enjoy the cinemagoing experience, so it makes sense that theatres would strive for the most space available.
Australia formerly held the record for the largest screen, which opened in 1996 with a width of 117 feet. Since having closed, the new record is held by Korea. Called the Super Plex, this screen is 111 feet wide, offering space for 622 people. Located next to Lotte Tower, the sixth tallest building in the world, this area of Seoul seems to be aiming for a theme.
Casinos
Developed as places of spectacle and lights, casinos are built to transport their players into other worlds. The more profound the floorspace, the more complete this illusion will appear, which the world’s biggest casinos hold close to their collective hearts. Taking this idea literally is the coming $5 billion Moon World Resorts for Las Vegas, which aims to feature a 1/75,000 replica of the moon.
In terms of square footage, it’s the Winstar World Casino in Oklahoma that holds the current record. With 600,000 square feet of space, this casino also leans on its name, featuring nine different globally themed plazas that allow players to relax and bet wherever they’re the most comfortable.
Gaming Systems
When it comes to video games, size is more a function of necessity than anything else. This is thanks to larger and faster components generating more heat, which requires bigger heatsinks and more space to cool. Sony’s PlayStation 5 is the 2020s best example of this concept in action, measuring 15.4 x 10.2 x 4.1 inches. This is bigger than the Xbox Series X, holding the record for the largest video game console of all time.
Computers are a little harder to measure because gaming machines don’t have a fixed form factor. These are built from user-defined components. While systems like Macs might have strict builds, these aren’t gaming machines, so they don’t really count.
Looking at PCs, the best point of comparison we have for the biggest would have to be the graphics cards. These have been getting progressively larger in recent years, but the recent fastest-ever card, the GeForce RTX 4090, blows everything else out of the water. Measuring 12 x 5.4 x 2.4 inches, this card alone is slightly larger than the entire Xbox Series S. It’s also so large that it required many users to buy an entirely new computer case, as well as a power supply to keep the card fed.
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Bigger doesn’t always mean better, but there are instances when bigger offers something that nothing else will. Whether looking at movie screens, playing at casinos, or making games run faster with consoles and PCs, size delivers experiences that can’t be matched by humbler experiences. Whether or not these are right for you is another question entirely, but for some, seeing really might be believing.
