Gaming Equipment and Technology
Console Gaming
Console gaming is the original (and probably most well-known) form of digital gaming. In the early days, Nintendo and Sega dominated the market for consoles. Today, Xbox and Playstation have become the two most popular consoles, offering millions of players the ability to experience the latest in gaming technology.
Consoles have been a good indicator of the tech market as a whole. In the beginning, consoles were simple joysticks just technologically-ept enough to run simple games like Pong. Now, consoles, like the new Xbox Series X, have specially designed microchips that process images and power as efficiently as possible, all the while, being designed for 8K television screens. Gaming consoles are truly pushing the limits of consumer entertainment technology.
PC Gaming
PCs have had a meteoric rise in gameplay with almost 1.8 billion people using computers as their gaming tool of choice by the end of 2022. Gaming computers are all about efficiency. Gaming PCs have their own dedicated RAM space, GPUs and cooling systems that help to efficiently run games in real-time. These bulked-up computers can handle graphically demanding games and can even make it easier for streamers who need a reliable system to manage gaming at a high level and livestreaming their gameplay at the same time. Games like Fortnite, League of Legends and Minecraft have made gaming one of the most popular forms of entertainment in the world today.
Quantum computing is a sector to look out for when it comes to gaming. Still in its infancy, quantum computing has the ability to completely upend the gaming industry (and world) as we know it. These computers dwarf anything that computers can do now, and this technology is primed to make an impact in the gaming industry. Because quantum computers have unfathomable amounts of power and information storage, they’re able to render the best graphics imaginable in real time. These computers also fix a huge problem currently plaguing the gaming industry; predictability. Who wants to play a game where they know exactly what happens? A quantum computer’s massive storage of algorithms could actually make gaming unpredictable and unique for each gamer.
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Cloud Gaming
Cloud gaming is the newest type of video game technology making headlines. Imagine Netflix, but for gaming. You scroll through a library of games, choose which game you want and automatically start playing the game. No discs and no load times. Play on your phone, iPad or console. Cloud-based gaming platforms aim to make the whole gaming experience seamless and easy to play from anywhere at any time.
Cloud gaming is such a threat to traditional console gaming that Microsoft’s head of gaming, Phil Spencer, stated that Xbox is no longer concerned about competition from Nintendo or Playstation in 2020. Rather, they’re more focused on competing with the ultra-fast cloud platforms being hosted by companies like Amazon and Google. It is worth noting, however, that Google’s cloud-based gaming platform, Stadia, is shutting down in 2023.
VR/AR Gaming
Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) are meant to put you right in the middle of the action. Instead of playing from a third person point-of-view, VR drops people into computer-generated environments to make them feel like they’re actually part of the game. VR offers gamers the ability to step into magical worlds and do everything from kick around a soccer ball to fight off hordes of monsters (like in the video above). Additionally, being directly a part of these kinds of digital worlds has made the draw to the metaverse that more appealing.
Augmented reality, on-the-other-hand, adds digital influences to real life. A popular example of AR in gaming is the mobile game Pokémon Go, in which smartphone cameras are used to find and capture virtual creatures in the real world. Gamers might come across a Pikachu in the park or even find a Wartortle on their walk to work.
Whether our reality is augmented or virtual, it’s clear to see that technology is ushering in a completely new way to participate in, and enjoy, video games.
Mobile Gaming
Mobile gaming makes up about 45 percent of the total market share of the gaming industry with over half of the worldwide population projected to play a mobile game by 2027.
Why is mobile gaming so popular? It’s easily accessible and has games for every type of gamer. Instead of having to strap on a headset or pop a disc into a console, mobile gaming allows us to play wherever we go and whenever we want. In 2020, it took over television as the preferred choice of leisure activity with people spending more than 6.5 hours per week on mobile games.
The mobile gaming industry is poised for continual growth as investments in mobile gaming startups have skyrocketed, and creativity opens up avenues for more gamers to enjoy different types of exciting games.
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