Online gaming has become the driving force in gaming in recent years. It’s impossible to deny that online gaming seems like the way forward and the future of gaming. The change hasn’t been overnight, though – there have been gradual moves towards online gaming over the last decade. One of the major reasons for online gaming’s growth in popularity is that it’s accessible to a wider global audience.
The other main reason that online gaming has attracted a wide audience is because tech innovations keep it exciting. New technology always generates a buzz, and gaming tech is particularly fun for audiences and players.
In this article, we’ll break down the latest tech – and the upcoming developments – that continue to make people excited about online gaming.
Cloud gaming
Cloud gaming is the technology that has had the biggest impact on making online gaming the leading form of gaming. Prior to games being stored in the cloud, players had to purchase a physical copy of a game or download it. This meant that the number of games and the quality they could be played at depended entirely on the amount of memory available on a player’s device.
Cloud gaming completely removes these limitations. The options for online slots in NZ are evidence for how cloud gaming gives players access to more games than would be possible if they were required to download every game to play. Similarly, the vintage games libraries being released on the cloud for console systems makes it possible for players to access games that the developers are unlikely to ever rerelease.
Trends in the market suggest that companies involved with cloud gaming are looking for ways to expand their share of this lucrative market. Some commentators suggest that this will result in internet providers offering cloud gaming-specific tiers of service.
Augmented reality
Augmented reality (AR) has had a rockier start than other types of gaming technology. This is partly because AR isn’t as straightforward to understand as virtual reality and because it operates in a weird zone between the digital and the real worlds. The well-publicised failure of Google Glass didn’t help AR’s early reputation, either.
Despite the uncertain start, AR tech has caught on for online gaming and has played a key role in some of the biggest gaming fads of the 21st century. AR is typically deployed on mobile devices but latest advances see it being employed on a much grander scale.
Locations like iFly Indoor Skydiving have begun to add AR to enhance the experiences they offer. Instead of simply ‘flying’ in an air tunnel, the AR system projects images of locations that include the Swiss Alps, Dubai and the Hawaiian Islands.
Virtual reality
Virtual reality has been discussed as the gaming trend of the future for decades. We’re finally at a point where it seems to be coming true. VR gaming is becoming more available and more immersive than we’ve ever seen before. Headsets are becoming less bulky and less expensive too.
Many commentators focus solely on the headsets when discussing VR tech. This is limiting because it overlooks all of the exciting developments being made in haptic feedback for handsets and controllers.
Haptic feedback is where the future of VR gaming is happening. Currently, haptic feedback in controllers includes features like vibrations to match the action on the screen. The future of haptic feedback controllers and gloves will be much more advanced and provide a variety of different sensations.
One of the more interesting developments is a glove controller that uses pressure to mimic the weight of objects. This would make it possible for players to ‘feel’ what they are picking up or touching in a game. The developers have even found ways to recreate the feelings of softness and the spikiness of a cactus!
Improved mobile gaming
Mobile gaming has played a huge role in expanding the audience for video games. For some reason, playing on a mobile phone instead of a computer or console made mobile games feel less intimidating for audiences that previously did not feel comfortable with or interested in video games.
Mobile games continue to expand and become more engaging and immersive. While simple puzzle or sports games remain a mainstay of the genre, we’re also seeing developers create mobile-based MMOs and other more complex games.
In terms of tech developments, mobile devices optimised for gaming are entering the mainstream. Now, more providers are creating gaming phones at varied price points so that all serious players on the go can find one in their price range.
