The gaming industry has always been a pioneer in adopting the latest technologies, from its early days of pixelated graphics to today’s hyper-realistic visuals. But beyond this industry’s developments in graphics and processing power, many emerging technologies are also now changing the gaming scene. These new technologies aren’t stopping at only reshaping how games are developed and played but are influencing gaming community interactions, the industry’s economy, and overall user experiences. With this in mind, let’s explore 7 technologies that drastically change gaming for the better.
1. Blockchains: Powering New Gaming Economies
First up, we have blockchain technology, which has had a significant impact on both the financial side of gaming and player experiences. What’s made this possible is that blockchain technology has decentralized gaming platforms, which introduces new dimensions to how games are monetized and played.
For instance, in the iGaming industry, Bitcoin, Ether, and Solana are wildly popular among platforms that accept cryptocurrency. Popular cryptocurrencies’ success and technological advancements have resulted in some even having specialized online casinos that exclusively use them.
For example, Solana, the fastest blockchain for transaction speeds, is being used by many game developers across different genres, such as battle royales, sci-fi, and iGaming. According to the resident crypto expert Kane Pepi, online gambling platforms on ReadWrite that accept Solana offer fast and decentralized transactions, among other perks like anonymous play and quicker signup processes.
Blockchain technology is also ideal for gaming since it can be used to create scalable decentralized applications (dApps). It enables developers to offer various benefits, such as affordable gaming and actual ownership, by leveraging blockchain features. On Solana’s network, features, like lower gas fees and NFT integration, allow gamers to own in-game digital assets like coins and weapons while being able to translate that ownership into actual digital assets in the real world, too.
2. Artificial Intelligence (AI): Enhancing Game Development and Player Experience
AI, which has played a huge role in gaming since the days of the first computerized opponents, has seen its role expand beyond dictating enemy behavior. That’s because modern AI technologies are now also being used to create complex and realistic environments in addition to responsive non-playable characters (NPCs) that can adapt to player actions in real time.
AI is also now used to personalize gaming experiences, such as changing gameplay dynamics to fit each gamer’s playing style or adjusting difficulty levels. An example of this is how AI-driven procedural content generation is being used to generate vast, immersive worlds to make each playthrough unique.
3. Cloud Gaming: Breaking the Hardware Barrier
The introduction of cloud gaming technology has changed how players access and enjoy their gaming experiences by placing the burden of heavy computational workloads on remote servers. This has allowed gamers to play high-quality games on virtually any device that has a stable internet connection, even if it isn’t a powerful PC or console.
We’ve seen this in how cloud gaming platforms have even made it possible for gamers to play AAA titles using their smartphones, tablets, and low-spec laptops. This has democratized access to high-quality games and made gaming more affordable.
4. Virtual Reality (VR): Immersive Experiences Redefined
Even though VR has been around for a while, this technology’s integration into mainstream gaming has reached new heights recently with the introduction of affordable hardware and recent technological advancements.
These developments are why we now have various VR headsets that have brought immersive gaming experiences to our living rooms, allowing us to interact physically with virtual game environments in a way that was previously limited to scenes in sci-fi movies and books.
However, the biggest benefit that VR technology has brought to gaming is that it has shifted towards being more physically engaging and socially interactive, making this industry move away from its traditional image of being patronized by lone gamers sitting at their desks.
5. 5G Connectivity: Unlocking Seamless, Real-Time Gaming
The global rollout of 5G networks is starting to have a big effect on online and mobile gaming as their low-latency and ultra-high speeds have made real-time gaming experiences, which were previously hindered by network limitations, possible.
This has meant that gamers can now enjoy seamless, high-definition streaming and near-instantaneous response times, which are essential for cloud gaming and competitive multiplayer games.
The impact 5G has had on gaming is not limited to better performance, as it’s also furthering innovations in gaming formats. These formats have mostly been advanced virtual reality experiences and the rise of mobile esports that have benefited from 5G networks’ increased bandwidth.
6. Artificial Reality (AR) Cloud: The Future of Interactive, Shared Worlds
Recently, we’ve also seen a rise in the use of AR Cloud technology which is a combination of augmented reality (AR), VR, mixed reality (MR), and cloud computing that’s used to create a shared layer of digital data over the real world.
In gaming, it’s starting to get used in facilitating persistent shared experiences that multiple users can interact with at the same time. An example of this is games with virtual objects that can be accessed in real-world locations that are visible to all players.
Developers like Niantic, the creators of Pokémon GO, are pioneers in this field and are investing heavily in AR Cloud technology as they want to create a real-world metaverse that blends physical and digital realities seamlessly.
7. Haptic Feedback Technology: Bringing a New Dimension of Touch to Gaming
Even though graphics and sound have been heavily explored in creating immersive gaming experiences, touch hasn’t enjoyed the same amount of attention until recently. That’s why we’ve seen haptic feedback technology, which stimulates the sense of touch with vibrations and other sensations, now being integrated more into gaming hardware.
An example of this is the advanced haptic controllers, such as the PlayStation 5’s DualSense, that offer gamers a tactile experience that can mimic almost everything from the rumble of an explosion to the tension of drawing a bowstring to the rumble of an explosion. VR gloves are also now seeing haptic feedback technology being integrated into them to enable a sense of touch when interacting with virtual environments.
Conclusion
As we conclude, we hope you can now see how the continuous evolution of the gaming industry has been driven by technological advancements that redefine what is possible. However, even though we’ve seen a lot of emphasis being put on innovations in graphics and processing power, we hope that you can also appreciate the impact these technologies that aren’t discussed as frequently have had on improving gaming experiences.
