This is a really exciting time for the online gaming industry. The technological advances that we’re seeing are just hints at what we can expect to see in the near future.
We’re living in what is probably one of the most exciting times to be a gamer. The days of feeding cassettes or CD-ROMS into our computers, and waiting hours for them to load before we can play a basic game are far behind us.
Here are some of the wondrous technological trends that are transforming online gaming right now – and in the future.
VR with friends
You’ve probably had an opportunity to play around with virtual reality technology. You also probably have a smartphone and VR headset that enables you to play whenever you like.
The challenge with VR is that it can isolate you from the people around you. One of the exciting new advances to change this is the ability for everybody to join a shared virtual space and have a dynamic and social experience.
Gamers who are located on separate continents could, for example, meet across a virtual casino table and play as if they were really there.
Your world, just better with AR
Another really exciting technology is augmented reality. Unlike virtual reality that transports you into a completely virtual environment, augmented reality makes your real-world even better by overlaying information, games or other cool things. It’s kind of like Terminator vision, just in real life.
A preview of what’s yet to come is the enormously popular Pokémon Go, a game which has captivated people across the world. If you haven’t already played, you really should experience it.
Using your mobile phone and GPS, you venture out into your neighborhood and capture a variety of creatures, earn points and compete against your friends. It’s the best of both worlds and hours of fun. Plus, you’re spending time outdoors which is a huge bonus.
Hyperrealistic console experiences
The gaming consoles available today, and which will be available in the coming years are far cry from the Commodore 64 gaming consoles of yesterday.
It doesn’t matter whether you prefer playing with an Xbox console or one of Sony’s PlayStations, these dedicated machines support 4K video and fully immersive surround sound. They are connected, powerful and will change your world completely.
Amazing experiences, on the go
Let’s face it, the smartphone in your pocket is fast becoming a supercomputer. Each year we see more powerful devices being released with bigger, higher definition screens; faster multi-core processors and enough memory to play games that you could only play on a desktop computer not too long ago.
When you add high-speed mobile connectivity and location awareness, not even the sky’s the limit for what you can do with these amazing devices. Your smart device is no longer just a phone, it is your gateway to the world around you and a fantasy universe beyond it.
The future is here
William Gibson once wrote that “the future is already here – it’s just not evenly distributed”. That’s rapidly changing because all of these technologies are becoming available to more people.
The future of online gaming is arriving and we can’t wait.
