Video games harness fast-paced technology, continually changing and evolving to give players the best experience possible. With gamers expecting new games to have the highest level of tech available, designers and programmers are working hard to exceed their expectations. Cloud gaming, Virtual Reality (VR) games, and immersive experiences are all becoming more popular in the gaming world. How will they continue to affect the industry?

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Virtual Reality

Virtual reality might have sounded like science fiction just a few years ago, but it’s now very much a reality. VR refers to “the computer-generated simulation of an environment that you can interact with using special VR technology and VR headsets such as the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Playstation VR, and Samsung Gear VR.

Think the Matrix with plenty of fun and none of the fatal consequences.” Simply put, VR allows you to experience video games, movies, and apps in a completely immersive way. You feel like you are truly a part of the action – isn’t that what any gamer wants?

VR hardware is increasingly more affordable, meaning that anyone can afford to play VR games and watch VR movies – Google’s Cardboard Kit is just around $10! As a result, more and more game developers and movie studios will take this into consideration when creating their content.

Truly Immersive Experiences

This is excellent news for the consumer, as gaming and viewing experiences will soon be more realistic than ever. Online casino gaming will be particularly exciting, as you will soon be able to feel like you are on the casino floor or gaming at a real machine, all from the comfort of your own home.

Cloud Computing

Cloud computing refers to the reliance on a network of remote servers that are used to store, manage, and process data. This means that your phone, PC, or laptop can work faster, without needing to rely on your own local server.

There’s never any worry that you will lose all of your valuable progress and personal information – it is stored for you on the cloud. In terms of gaming, this is often referred to as Gaming as a Service (GaaS). It reduces or eliminates your need for expensive gaming hardware that continually needs to be upgraded and added to.

All upgrades and changes can be made on your computer – all you need is a reliable internet connection and a subscription to your GaaS service. Google will be offering their GaaS service with the upcoming Stadia console, with Playstation and Xbox predicted to follow very soon.

Five Gaming Tech Predictions

Here are five gaming tech predictions for 2020 and beyond:

1. Hyper-Immersive Gameplay Achieved With Virtual Reality (VR) And Photorealistic Graphics

One complaint often levied at VR video games is that they are cartoonish and clunky. New virtual reality headsets are making 3D graphics possible, and they have gamers very excited for hyper-immersive gameplay.

2. Open-Source Game Development

Video game development can be a small and insular community, with some of the big AAA game developers and a couple of smaller companies dominating the field. However, new tools are emerging that make a software development kit (SDK) less important, meaning that indie companies are going to be releasing more and more new games.

3. Cloud-Based Gaming

The growing importance of cloud computing technology is a pivotal part of future predictions. Soon you’ll be able to play your favorite games from any device, and games will be cheaper than ever.

4. An Increased Use Of Augmented Reality

Like VR, Ar has been around for a long time, but with the smash success of Pokémon Go developers only recently realized how successful it can be. With something as affordable as Google Cardboard, we predict that AR will be one of the biggest video game trends in the ‘20s.

5. Handheld Consoles Are Back To Stay

While you might think fondly of your old Gameboy, handheld devices are back! The success of the Nintendo Switch has shown video game companies that there is still a massive market for handheld devices, even in the era of mobile gaming on one’s phone.

What Does The Future Hold For Gaming?

While AR, VR, cloud-based gaming, and other handheld hardware are sensible predictions, the most fun developments genuinely come out of left field. What do you think that 2020 and beyond has in store for high tech gaming?

If you are interested in even more technology-related articles and information from us here at Bit Rebels, then we have a lot to choose from.