Top Gaming Trends to Look Out for in 2021
Have you been playing more games during 2020?
Are you and your friends regularly meeting online for your daily or weekly gaming sessions to let off steam and enjoy few moments of fun during the pandemic? Then you’re not the only ones.
As many people have been turning to online games, the video game industry has been thriving even during the economic problems brought by the pandemic. While things are expected to become better in 2021, there are many new happenings that are set to launch in 2021.
Before we dive into those trends, here is a brief breakdown of the 2020 global video gaming market:
· More than 48% of online gaming market share has come from mobile gaming and this number is set to increase in 2021.
· Console gaming took around 28% of the market share in the global games market, where as PC gaming accounted for around 23%.
· It is predicted according to Newzoo that by 2022, the global games market will reach around $196 billion with $95.4 billion to come from mobile gaming.
· According to a research, around 61% of the gamers in US preferred playing on the mobile phones, whereas 52% preferred console gaming and 49% stuck to PC gaming.
· Similarly, gamers prefer downloading their games instead of buying a physical copy of the game globally, with 63.6% preferring downloads over a physical video game.
· When it comes to console gaming, 63.39% of the console gaming market share is owned by Sony making their consoles one of the most popular out there.
· And lastly when it comes playing video games, more than 3.1 billion people are playing video games from around the world that represent around 40% of the world’s population.
As you can see from the above facts, it can easily be discerned that the video gaming industry will see many disruptive and innovative technologies entering the market keeping mobile gaming at the forefront, as many gamers prefer their smart phone. It is clear that this year will be exciting for gamers on mobile phones, PC, or consoles.
While predictions for trends of a new year are usually estimates, here are some trends that will hopefully come to light in 2021:
· Better gaming hardware: video games are constantly evolving, and gamers expect better graphics to allow the gameplay to appear as real as possible. While developing games in 4K or 8K video quality requires not only better software development tools but hardware support to run these games as well.
The new PS5 provides 4K graphics which makes playing video games not only fun but a pleasure as well. Similarly, mobile phone manufacturers are taking into consideration the different hardware specifications that are required to run games like Fortnite, Pubg, Minecraft so that there are no delays or screen tearing that can otherwise make the gaming experience for the user not so favourable.
· Augmented reality: augmented reality is set to take the gaming experience to the next level by making them appear more interactive and set in the real world. By pushing the edges of reality, AR headsets and games developed for such hardware will surely make a difference and open a new vertical for gamers.
· Better graphics: like we mentioned in the earlier point, gamers are expecting crystal clear pixel resolution that look too good to be animated. Not only do video games allow gamers to visualise and edit their avatars to make them as real as possible, but many open world games like Minecraft, The Legend of Zelda, Counter Strike, Clash of Clans or similar games are providing amazing animations when it comes to the environment.
· Cloud gaming with 5G: when it comes to cloud gaming, 5G network will truly revolutionise the way gamers interact with their preferred games, as the faster network will allow for minimum or zero lags in gameplay, no delays and better streaming of online gaming.
We expect many things when it comes to online video gaming in 2021, with better graphics, mobile phone support, faster consoles and will have to see what the year brings.
— Illya Shpetrik