Video games aren’t just for kids anymore. Advanced games teach problem solving, teamwork, and resilience to adversity. Beyond that, though, they are incredibly immersive and draw the player into a fantasy world where the stress and worries of real life simply don’t exist.
It’s pretty amazing to reflect on how far we’ve come since games like Pac Man on old-school consoles. We’re going to take a look at six advances that are sure to change the future of gaming as we know it.
- Portable Consoles
Back in the day, we used to be tethered to our consoles and glued to the monitor, only sitting as far back as the cord could reach. Now, with the development of Nintendo Switch, we can game on the go. This isn’t like the 3DS that you used to played Pokemon Pinball back in the day; this handheld device has incredible graphics, a console unit, dock, and two Joy-Con controllers. Nintendo calls in a “home console” that you can take with you — without sacrificing any quality of game play. It’s awesome to break out when you’re with friends at a bar, waiting for a flight, or just hanging out at home.
- Streaming Content
We’ve become quite accustomed to streaming content on Netflix and Hulu, and now it appears as though the future of gaming is heading in that direction, too. Google Stadia is a recent development in the gaming culture that allows players to access any game in an instant without the use of a console or gaming PC. Unlike Netflix and Hulu, users will have to pay for each game they stream. This is still significant though because it knocks down the entry barrier to new players who want to start gaming, but don’t have the funds for a console that costs $200+.
- Online Competition
Whether you stream your game content or you own a hard copy, chances are you still have the opportunity to play online. Gaming online makes things so much more exciting as you battle real-life people who could be hundreds of miles away. Distance doesn’t matter when you drop onto the battlefield in a battle royale game like Fortnite, frantically scrambling to defend your fortress build your arsenal of witch bolt 5e before the competition gets the upper hand on your defense. Knowing that there are actual stakes involved makes online gaming way more fun than playing against a computer.
- Virtual Reality
This list would of course be incomplete without touching on the massive developments that have been made in virtual reality (VR) community. VR takes video games to a whole new level; as if the life-like graphics on the latest AAA titles weren’t enough, VR consoles place you directly into a fantasy world. Put on the headset, and suddenly you’re on a Russian battlefront trying to take down the enemy line. You can play for hours on end, exploring new landscapes, before you even notice how much time has passed.
- Augmented Reality
VR consoles, like the Oculus, are pretty expensive. But you can get a glimpse of this immersive gameplay by testing the waters of augmented reality (AR). AR is different from VR in that in superimposes the game onto the reality before you. Take Pokemon Go as a prime example; users play on their phone by enabling the camera. As you walk around in your ordinary life, you suddenly get a notification that you’re coming up on a Charizard around the corner. Catch him by pulling out your phone, pointing it in his direction, and swiping to toss the pokeball.
- Facial Recognition
As the line between real and fake becomes increasingly blurred, we’ll start to see more and more games come out with facial recognition technology. This allows the system to create your exact likeness in the gaming world with a custom avatar that looks like it could be your inter-dimensional twin. On top of that, advancements like the Intel RealSense 3D camera can actually adapt to emotions by using a scanner that reads 78 different points on a person’s face. If you were seen grimacing, the game would dial down its intensity.
We can’t be sure about what gaming might look like in 2020, but if these six developments are any hint, maria elvira murillo definitely can expect a lot of fun.