Trends that are shaping the future outlook of online gaming

Online gaming is becoming the pastime that is defining our modern generation. Whether we’re talking revenue or sheer popularity, there are more online gamers than ever before, and it’s easily one of the fastest growing hobbies, with no signs of slowing down. Online gaming is so massive that it is spearheading some of the most groundbreaking technological trends of our times.

These influential trends will help shape not only the future of video games or iGaming but even how we interact online in general. Here are the top things to look out for.

Mobile gaming software

As much as video games are still associated with monster PC rigs and high-end gaming consoles, the numbers don’t lie – mobile games are dominating the industry, both online and offline.

There are several reasons for this, even if some old-school gamers don’t get the appeal, with their more sophisticated hardware and software titles. Mobile games are accessible since just about everyone owns a smartphone or tablet these days. Plus, many mobile games are free to play (even if they do feature hundreds of micro-transaction options), so they are even more accessible from a financial perspective.

Mobile games are also beginning to incorporate more elements typically associated with console and PC games, such as side-quests, more elaborate user-interfaces and narrative-driven gameplay. They are evolving at an impressive rate.

The mobile market has also been very successful in the world of sports betting, iGaming, blockchain technology and OnlineSlot services, thanks to taking note from how mobile video games have used their own tech. The mobile boom has seen online casinos and online gaming become available from people’s devices so they can play on the go. There are online casino slot game review sites that detail their games, rating their gameplay, safety, and player experience. The type of review sites are great resources and are an integral part in how players choose their mobile slot games these days.

Virtual reality

Speaking of tech, no other piece of gaming hardware has given us a better glimpse of the future of gaming than virtual reality headsets. Though VR gaming has been around for a while, it’s only in the past couple of years that we’ve started seeing its true potential, both for recreational and scientific purposes.

There are now more VR headset owners than ever before. There are more brands of VR headsets, peripherals and other related hardware devices to choose from than in previous years. More games are being developed with VR technology in mind. Though it will probably take a few more years before it truly goes mainstream, virtual reality gaming is clearly here to stay. It’s not a matter of if it will take off, but when.

Cross-platform functionality

Mobile gaming is not just popular among casual gamers, but more hardcore gamers too. This means many people will enjoy playing at home on their desktop, but also on the go via smartphone or a tablet. What is the solution to accommodate these kinds of people? The answer is cross-platform functionality.

A video game that enables cross-platform features allows players to play a game on one platform and then upload their saved file to another platform or device and continue playing there. Many indie games, such as the popular rogue-like Hades, will allow players to import their PC save to their Nintendo Switch device, and vice versa.

This means you can have the best of both worlds: comfortable gaming on your most powerful device and portable gaming on your most convenient device.

Cross-platform functionality applies to online play as well. People who play online MOBAs, first-person shooters, battle royales or MMORPGs can now face off against players on other platforms. Back in the day, PlayStation users could only play against other PlayStation users. Now, they can also be matched with Xbox, Nintendo and PC players. This still depends on the game, and doesn’t apply to all software out there.

This also includes cross-platform leader boards. Now you can see the top scores and ranks for players on all platforms, so your ranking is part of a more comprehensive list of gamers.

Cloud services

Like virtual reality, cloud gaming services had a slow start a few years ago and failed to turn many heads, but have recently picked up quite a lot of speed and traction. Like mobile gaming trends, cloud gaming is making a variety of games accessible to millions of people who originally thought they didn’t have the hardware to run them.

With cloud services, an off-site device – Google Stadia, Xbox Cloud, GeForce Now, PlayStation Plus etc – will run the graphically demanding game for you. All you have to do is have a good enough internet connection to stream the game to your monitor, which is usually a much cheaper option than owning an expensive modern gaming PC or current generation console.

With cloud gaming, more people are realizing that running the most cutting-edge games doesn’t have to come with an initial price tag that is in the thousands of pounds. So, expect to not only see more software made compatible with cloud services, but more companies beyond Microsoft or Sony entering this new ring of game industry competition.

Remakes, reboots and remasters

One of the most undeniable trends in gaming that goes back generations and is spiking now more than ever is remakes and remasters. Remakes have been around since the early 1990s, but the 2020s have perhaps delivered more remakes and remasters than all previous generations of gaming combined.

Some remasters and remakes do seem like low-effort attempts to capitalize on nostalgia, but others are not so simple. Some remakes give developers the opportunity to take advantage of new controls and ideas, allowing older games filled with glitches or bizarre design decisions to reach their full potential.

Though there is definitely a number of gamers who think there is an over-saturation of rereleases lately, it’s hard to deny that some of the most critically acclaimed and best-selling games over the past couple of years have been remakes and remasters.

Love them or hate them, remakes and reboots are here to stay. You might as well learn to separate the wheat from the chaff and spend your time and money on those games that truly break new ground.