When you hear the words “video games,” the first thing you think about is the game itself, its gameplay, characters, and graphics. But we often manage to overlook the things taking place behind the scenes. The beautiful narrative powered by graphical marvel is only possible thanks to gaming hardware. These have come a long way over the years, so modern video games look almost lifelike. But it’s important to reminisce about the origins and appreciate the beauty of modern games. With our casino experts from Casino Gambler, the site writing about the UK’s best casinos and games they offer, we’re taking a walk through time in this article, looking at the evolution of gaming hardware.
The Earliest Gaming Hardware (1970s-1980s)
Today, when we want to play games, we look to computers or consoles. But back in the 70s, computers couldn’t run any games, no matter how simple they may be. This led to the birth of the first generation gaming consoles like the Magnavox Odessey and the Atari 2600.
You might have heard about the Atari 2600 if you’ve watched the movie Ready Player One. In the final part of the movie, the protagonist needs to find the easter egg within the game “Adventure”. The film showed how this console sparked the love of video games worldwide by having the first easter egg in a game.
In terms of the graphics, the games looked pretty basic by today’s standards. But you need to remember that getting a colorful program was hard back then. However, these consoles did more than that at the time, laying the foundation for what followed and allowing for the evolution of video games.
The Console Wars (1990s)
During the 90s, Sega and Nintendo were the two biggest video game companies worldwide. Each had their own version of a gaming console. There was the Sega Genesis and the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Both started the era of 16-bit gaming with bright and colorful 2D graphics.
But the world was already used to 2D games ever since the 70s. A graphical update over the previous generations wasn’t the evolutional leap players wanted. They needed something more.
That’s where Sony jumped in with their PlayStation. Instead of using cartridges like the Sega and Nintendo consoles, this used CD-ROM. This was a massive improvement over anything else that existed at the time.
CD-ROMs allowed for larger games, unlike anything anyone had seen before. But the best part was that with this, video game lovers could switch to 3D gaming, which wasn’t possible on the 16-bit systems.
The Start of PC Gaming (1990s-2000s)
While the console wars waged on, PC gaming also started to take shape within the industry. The developments in processors and graphics cards allowed the creation of even more visually stunning games.
Using DirectX and OpenGL, games could render graphics in-game more efficiently. Even browser games like video slots became popular as they allowed for online gameplay utilizing the Internet.
Evolution of Consoles (the 2000s)
The year 2000 marked the launch of the PS2. During this time, Xbox and GameCube were also made available to the general public. These games evolved in the graphics department even further.
One of the most unique things was the Nintendo Wii. It introduced something no one had done before, motion controls. It puts more emphasis on interaction during gameplay.
Modern Gaming Hardware (2010s-2020s)
What we call the modern gaming age came about during the 2010s. It was at that time that seventh and eighth-generation consoles hit the market. And they gradually released a newer generation of things.
Sony started with the PS3 and eventually launched the PS4. The PlayStation 4 was considered the gold standard of gaming consoles for the longest time. It was only recently that the PS5 was released, which allowed for games to use next-gen graphics.
VR and AR gaming also got really popular. Players needed VR headsets and a powerful computer to handle the gameplay of these virtually immersive games.
As of writing this, there still isn’t any solution regarding the movement in VR games. But some companies are working to develop an omnidirectional treadmill that will allow players to walk in real life to move their in-game avatars.
What Does the Future Hold
The level of innovation that we witness these days from video games is truly astonishing. Improvements to character models have been made in the past. The current industry pays more attention to environmental details and lighting.
For example, Final Fantasy XV, a game first released in 2016, looks great even by today’s standards. And it’s all thanks to the improved lighting effects.
Cloud gaming and online-based games are also really popular. As for the future, we’ll have to wait and see what happens. But one thing is certain: we’re in for some great stuff thanks to the evolution of video gaming.
