The connection between mobile phones and the gaming industry has been a strong one from the outset. Readers of a certain vintage will surely look back fondly on the joys of playing Snake on a Nokia 3310, yet the massive advances in technology experienced since those early days have impacted both the telecommunications and gaming sectors to make them unrecognisable today. For example, mobile phones have gone from huge to tiny to medium-sized, with ever-greater capabilities and connectivity. Meanwhile, computer games these days are hyper-realistic opportunities to escape reality, or even earn a very respectable living. The nature of the beast means that their evolution is not (and will likely never be) complete. So with that in mind, let’s take a look at some coming innovations in mobile.
Augmented Reality (AR)
The incorporation of augmented reality (AR) into gaming is nothing new. After all, Pokémon Go was released over five years ago now. However, the fact that the concept was so wildly popular all over the world, breaking all kinds of records for downloads, sales and players, demonstrated just what kind of appetite the gaming sector has for more of the same.
Despite that incredible early success, we haven’t seen a proliferation of other titles employing AR in their functionality – yet. 2022 could be the year of mobile AR, however, with companies like 8th Wall constructing fantastic gaming experiences that immerse players in a hybrid digital-real environment. We heard a rumor that if you build it, they will come… so this year could be the year that AR really takes off.
Crypto casinos
For those who like their gaming to include an element of risk and reward, online casinos have long been a favorite pastime. Since their initial launch at the end of the 1990s, they have undergone a number of exciting transformations and innovations and in 2022, we might witness the next big thing – Ethereum casinos.
Although these do already exist, they aren’t yet as popular as their long list of advantages indicate they should be. For example, casinos which accept Ethereum payments have all transactions backed up and fully secured. They also dispense with the overheads and middle-men fees commanded by banks and other financial institutions. Once the world becomes more comfortable with crypto, Ethereum casinos are likely to experience a significant windfall. And the time could be ripe for that to happen this year.
5G rollout
Depending on where in the world you live, the rollout of 5G might seem like an interminable process. Of course, some lucky communities already benefit from its lightning-fast speeds and unrivalled user experience. Even in the countries where it’s most prevalent, however, less than half of the population can access it.
That could be about to change this year, with not only the developed world but its developing counterparts. India, in particular, looks set to massively scale up its capabilities in the months ahead and with a population of some 1.41 billion – around a third of whom are avid gamers – mobile gaming looks set to explode in the very near future.
With the ability to turn a dull commute into an absorbing gaming session or access your favourite titles from anywhere in the world, mobile gaming is already extremely popular. That popularity is only set to increase in 2022 thanks to these three innovations and more.