Gamers have enjoyed countless technological breakthroughs over the last several decades. From the first video game consoles like the Atari Home Pong or Magnavox Odyssey 2 in the early 1970s to hyper-modern gaming behemoths like the PlayStation 5, technological innovation has always been essential. It’s a great way to track human progress, too. Show a kid from the 1980s what games modern-day children are playing, and they would freak out – there’s no comparison!
The exciting thing about the gaming industry is its insistence on consistently being bigger and better. Developers, scientists, and software engineers have made several tantalizing breakthroughs in recent times, and it’s only a matter of time before we can experience them in real life. Stay with us for some of the most compelling technology developments set to break through in the gaming world.
Artificial Reality
Learning how Artificial Reality (AR) is going to change 21st-century gaming is a hot topic here at WikiTechy. People commonly confuse Artificial Reality with Virtual Reality, but they are two separate things. While VR seeks to completely replace our reality with a synthetic one, AR uses our current environment to function.
A perfect example is Nintendo’s unstoppable Pokémon GO! series. Players don’t need a VR headset to be immersed in the game. Instead, they walk around their own environment looking for Pokémon hiding on-screen. You must be looking in the right direction to catch them and visit specific places where more Pokémon are known to congregate. Pokémon GO! is relatively rudimentary as far as AR games can go, so expect more impressive examples like Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit in the near future.
Cloud-Based Gaming
The trend toward cloud-based gaming has been going on for a few years now, mainly concerning how gamers purchase new titles. Players are much more likely to buy new games online from the “cloud” nowadays, replacing the need to go to a physical game store to pick up the latest titles.
But this is just scratching the surface of what cloud-based gaming could become. For example, Konami’s ambitious eFootball game explored the possibility of an entirely cloud-based video game. Players only need to pay for it once, with automatic updates coming seamlessly after each season.
eSports
New gaming technology will give the rising eSports industry another boost over the next few years. Competitive video gaming is massive nowadays, providing gamers at the top of their game with a way to earn an extraordinarily large salary.
It has also paved the way for things like eSports betting that generate even more game-related revenue. If eSports betting isn’t your thing, there are plenty of similar alternatives at online casinos. Players can enjoy eSports-inspired casino tournaments at these platforms, satisfying the gambling itch while playing a type of eSports of your own. These competitions often involve online slots and other popular online casino games. Titles like Gonzo’s Quest or Rainbow Riches are popular slot games offering unique bonus features and massive jackpots. Play against your friends at sites like VegasSlotsOnline and see who ends up at the top of the leaderboard to replicate the eSports experience. Flex your casino muscle on strategy-dependent games like Three Card Poker or play slots like Spartacus Gladiator for dynamic, action-packed bonus features. The best online casino platforms offer tournaments encompassing a range of potential casino games. It’s a great way to align online casino gaming with the upwardly mobile eSports world. New technology will allow the eSports industry to grow even further, so keep an eye on this part of the gaming sphere.
Blockchain & Video Games
Blockchain-related technology is all the rage nowadays, and it’s only a matter of time before it seeps into the video gaming world. On a simple level, most gaming analysts expect cryptocurrency payments to become the norm on platforms like the PlayStation Store or the Microsoft Store.
More interestingly, game developers could utilize blockchain technology to create dynamic and holistic leaderboards for their titles. You can also expect NFTs to become more prevalent in the gaming world. At some point, gamers could own their very own unique NFT game versions, providing proof of unique ownership.
The Metaverse
Mark Zuckerberg has poured a lot of money, passion, and effort into the Metaverse, but what exactly is it? As the Encyclopedia Britannica explains, it is “a network of always-on virtual environments in which many people can interact with one another and digital objects while operating virtual representations – or avatars – of themselves.”
The Metaverse could be a groundbreaking synthesis between virtual reality and huge online multiplayer games. Imagine RuneScape, but you’re actually inside it – this is how far things could go in the future!