When it comes to technology trends impacting our lives, the gaming industry is often the first place we get to see many of them in action. This is true of revolutionary advancements like artificial intelligence, blockchain, and virtual reality.
As a result, video games have evolved from primitive indulgences for the youth to realistic 3D worlds where hundreds to thousands of players can interact in real time. The infrastructure that enables this is built on trailblazing technology like cloud networking, 5G, and super-powered computers. Let’s dive into the most exciting trends likely to drive impactful prospects in the gaming domain in 2023 and beyond:
Table of Contents
eSport Management Software
eSports popularity exploded in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic, and they have been on an upward trajectory since. The niche’s growing popularity is increasing the demand for eSports management software.
While eSports involve video games, they have other crucial aspects of traditional competitive sports. They have audiences, leagues, sponsorship, tournaments, prize pool, and salaried players. eSports are also zingy in the betting industry, often placed alongside traditional betting options in Michigan online casinos. Like betting on conventional games, gamblers can win real money. Managing all these facets requires top-range eSports management software capable of:
- Creating and organizing eSport tournaments on an amateur to professional levels
- Tracking statistics on different tournaments and platforms in real-time
- Providing eSports news and facilitating the growth of an eSports community using players’ and audiences’ social media profiles
- Offering in-app purchases as an optional feature
Cutting-Edge Graphics
Video games have come a long way from 8-bit graphical resolution featuring 256 colors to 64-bit that can create realistic 3D images. This continuous technological advancement has shifted gaming towards personalization and user-centricity. Consequently, we see avant-garde graphics delivering bold, expressive, and photo-realistic designs and textures. Focusing on more realistic gaming experiences will increase user traction and playability. Some games that are benchmark inspirations for high-tech graphics are:
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
- Microsoft Flight Simulator
- Red Dead Redemption 2
- Ghost of Tsushima
- Battlefield 2042
Ultra-High-Definition Displays
Since video game graphics are an opportunistic, constantly evolving technology, the resolution is a critical graphical setting that must keep up. Accordingly, high-definition displays are another popular gaming tech trend on the rise. The HD and Full HD trend offering 720p and 1080p is shifting to favor Quad HD/ Ultra HD/ 4K/ 8K in 2023 and onward. New GPUs can now easily achieve a considerable framerate in extreme high resolution. Developers are also offering affordable and budget-friendly solutions with the feature.
Cross-Platform Games
Developing games that can run seamlessly across different consoles and systems has had its fair share of road bumps, but 2023 marks the end of these barriers. Thanks to technological advancements and innovations on PCs, consoles, smartphones, and tablets, players can now participate in multi-platform games without undue disadvantage due to the device used.
This technological advancement will benefit entrepreneurs alongside gamers; it will help attract audiences to cross-play games and widen the target market. Rocket League, Chess Ultra, Ark: Survival Evolved, and Fortnight are famous examples of cross-platform games.
Extended Reality: Virtual Reality + Augmented Reality
The gaming industry was fully bought into virtual reality long before it was fashionable in other disciplines. In the past five years, there has been a gradual growth in VR gaming uptake. High-profile franchises like Minecraft, Doom, and Grand Theft Auto are already available through simulated technology.
Its cousin, augmented reality, has seen a stall in its mainstream success since Pokémon Go was released in 2017. However, with game developers eager to innovate the niche beyond imagination, AR is becoming a priority for offering smooth gaming experiences alongside VR.
Open-Source Gaming
Big game publishers like Electronic Arts, Activision Blizzard, Nintendo, and Sega dominate the game development landscape. The entry of open-source gaming is allowing independent developers to compete against these titans too. Godot, Armory, Openage, and CryEngine are some open-source game engines available to independent developers, and more will be released as the industry embraces the trend.
Closing Thoughts
While most industries scramble to wrap their heads around new concepts, the gaming domain is busy challenging them to push further forward. A lot of amazing, advanced gaming tech is making a breakthrough in gaming in 2023, but there is still plenty of room for growth. Whether you are a game developer, entrepreneur, or gamer, there is much to explore and look forward to in the industry.
