Gaming is now a huge sector and the most popular niche within entertainment. In the USA alone, the video games industry generated $85.86m in 2021! When you also take into account the huge sums generated by mobile play, esports worldwide, it is easy to see gaming is in a great place now!
While there are a few different factors which explain gaming’s growth lately, there is no doubt that technology has played its part. By taking onboard the latest tech trends, gaming has been able to remain relevant and move with the times. You only have to look at online video gaming or how technically impressive the latest games, PCs and consoles are now for proof of this.
Competitive Gaming one major sector to use latest tech trends
Of course, this kind of evolution powered by tech is not something we only see in just video gaming. There is also the competitive gaming sector aka esports which has used the latest tech to move forward as well. Esports is a great example and a sector which has changed a lot in recent years, thanks to technology.
Internet-based esports platforms are a case in point and many people now prefer to play others online, rather than in person. According to WSN.com; many websites show just what bonuses and features these tech-backed platforms offer which makes them so popular.
In terms of gaming, the use of tech to evolve is also key and explains its current popularity too. But what tech trends could this sector see during the rest of 2022?
Gaming technology trends in 2022 – what might crop up?
Although we are now well into 2022, it is still worth looking at what technology trends in gaming the rest of the year could bring. Arguably the one which could have the biggest impact across gaming is The Metaverse. But what is it all about and how could this tech change gaming?
The Metaverse is an all-encompassing virtual world which runs parallel to the real world. It basically enables a vast 3D universe to be created which people can connect to online and interact with others socially. This goes far beyond chatting to people through headsets while gaming though or messaging people on gaming forums! Instead, The Metaverse will allow people to recreate the experience of meeting up in real life but in an online world.
Gaming in The Metaverse should not only be more immersive and thrilling but come with a lot more choice. People are likely to be able to choose between visiting an online esports event on there or going with more traditional video games in the Cloud. In addition, The Metaverse is expected to bring other forms of entertainment into gaming, such as music concerts, to enhance the experience further.
What other tech trends could dominate gaming in 2022?
Knowing 2022’s top expected games is key for gamers – but knowing about tech trends is also important. Although The Metaverse is the main news when it comes to gaming technology in 2022, there are other trends which could remain popular as the year passes.
NFTs are a great example of this and already something which we have heard more about since the start of the year. Standing for Non-Fungible Tokens, these digital-only items have started to be seen more in gaming and can even fetch big sums of money when traded. Good examples of NFTs in games include unique character avatars to purchase or custom skins/kit to buy for your character in-game. With top studios such as Ubisoft previously announcing their intention to build more NFTs into future releases, expect to see this tech trend pick up more headlines in the coming months.
Another tech trend which could define gaming in 2022 is the increasing use of Blockchain. This could largely be spurred on by the rising presence of NFTs in games. This is because these kinds of tokens are based on Blockchain tech and are not able to function without it.
Of course, Blockchain is also known as being a secure basis for processing transactions. With in-game and online purchases common in gaming now, we could see Blockchain-based platforms trending as a way of making payments safely online.
Tech in gaming set to wow in 2022
In the early parts of 2022, we have already seen how tech trends can come out of nowhere to make headline news in gaming. As we move through the rest of the year, it seems common sense to think that the trends above could dominate the industry. When you also add VR and AR into the mix, with the news indicating that Apple’s long rumored VR headset could come out soon, it is clear that gaming is set for even more change in the next few months.
