Over the years, the mobile gaming industry has grown at a rapid pace with few signs of stopping. There was a time where only consoles or PC gaming were considered authentic gaming. Now, mobile has come to the fore, in time to claim its rightful place. Better mobile phones with larger screens and souped-up processing power are partly responsible for the rise in mobile gaming. Gaming companies both small and large have been keen to explore the sector. Not surprisingly, several parties including entrepreneurs, players and gaming developers, have all staked their claim within the space. The proliferation of online gaming will continue into 2021, due in a large part to the continuation of the pandemic and the slow rollout of vaccines. Here are a few trends and innovations to look forward to as the year progresses.
5G Penetration – In August, 2020, 5G smartphone sales accounted for only 14% of total US sales. Although quite low, this number is a jump from the 3% 5G sales in January 2020. However, these low numbers may be due to limited 5G coverage which is non-existent in some areas. Much of this is expected to change by July 2021 when 80% of the country is expected to have access to 5G speeds. Online gaming is supposed to reap benefits from people using their smartphones for gaming. 5G is going to help people play games that are more bandwidth-intensive. These games will also feature better graphics on 5G networks equipped for optimum performance. Because of the abilities of 5G, game developers will be able to create even more intense games.
Online gaming– People play games for a variety of reasons. Some for fun, some because they love the thrill of gaming. Thus, online game is a trend that will continue to see growth in 2021. Online games has added yet another dimension to the types of games available on mobile. Adding to this, is the development and normalization of cryptocurrencies that are enjoying a growing acceptance among regular people. Cryptocurrencies have shaken up the finance world allowing individuals to certify financial transactions instead of banks, essentially decentralizing money. Naturally, cryptocurrencies have also found themselves as part of the gaming world where a large number of gamers have found crypto casino entertaining.
Virtual Reality – Virtual Reality (VR) has made a tremendous impact on mobile gaming over the last few years. However, this is expected to grow as the technology finds new applications. Virtual reality helps players to simulate real life experiences. VR technology allows games to be more immersive by allowing players to submerge themselves into the gaming environment through the use of tools such as headsets and gloves, etc. However, these tools can become expensive to those without deep pockets. Mobile virtual reality (VR) allows players to experience VR gaming without breaking the bank and a bunch of impending titles from major developers promises to make mobile gaming even more fun.
Augmented Reality – This is yet another piece of technology that promises to have a significant impact on gaming in 2021. While VR allows users to be immersed into a game world, Augmented Reality (AR) is different from its cousin VR in that it allows users to overlay game elements onto the real world. These game elements can be observed on the user’s phone and through the phone’s camera. Although the Pokémon GO craze from a few years ago signaled the beginning of the population’s exposure to AR, the follow up has been less than impressive. However, for 2021, this interest is expected to intensify with more mobile users sure to access games from major developers such as Niantic, Sony and EA Mobile. It is also clear that the quality of AR games are also improving. With both cloud gaming and the spread of 5G, there is a promise of faster processing times for AR, allowing graphics that are both faster and more enjoyable. These developments also promise to welcome more complex and immersive AR rendering for mobile.
Mobile gamers allow users to have fun gaming without spending a lot of money on expensive gaming rigs or consoles. And although hardcore gamers tend to look down on mobile gamers, there is certainly much in store for the platform in the coming months.
