Technology is constantly pushing the frontiers in entertainment—and especially when it comes to video games. Since the at-home console revolution of the 1990s, gaming technology has become increasingly accessible. In fact, the largest sector in gaming is now mobile, highlighting the interest in gaming on the go.
But some promising tech features take longer to develop than expected. Back in the 1980s, for example, holograms were popularized by major film projects. The idea that people might be interacting with holographic projections took off. Fast forward almost half a century into the future and this technology remains in its infancy.
But not all grand ideas have been so difficult to adapt for gamers. Let’s take a look at some of the coolest new features and projects that have rolled out over the last few years.
Satellite Qualifiers
Similar to traditional sports, many gamers dream of qualifying for an eSports competition through a virtual qualifier event. However, these qualifying tournaments have taken a bit of practice to nail, from eFIFA leagues to the VCT Last Chance Qualifiers. It seems some eSports organizations have borrowed from the world of poker.
Poker represents a unique perspective on gaming. Virtual players tend to stick to online platforms to cut their teeth as beginners. Many dream of qualifying at a satellite event to earn an invitation to a live event. While a satellite event might not seem like a huge coup technologically, EPT and poker companies were some of the first to pit digital competitors against one another in a tournament structure while maintaining the integrity of the game.
Style-Shifting Battles
One of the perennial challenges in releasing a new game in a series is building on what works while also foraying into new territory. To do this, developers Square Enix decided to reimagine their boss sequences in their latest Final Fantasy release. The series has done a great job of incorporating fallen bosses into the franchise by letting players summon them for battles.
Over the last few years, new technology has allowed Square Enix to craft wholly new and entirely immersive environments for these boss-on-boss battles to pan out. Additionally, their brand new weapons interface will give fans of Final Fantasy characters and weapons tons of new material to explore.
DualSense Controllers
PlayStation 5 comes equipped with a video game titled Astro’s Playroom, which was created with DualSense technology and originally uploaded as a tech demo. But what began as a demo has since become one of the most promising projects in VR.
By using a DualSense controller, players are able to immerse themselves more deeply into the game. Navigating as a little robot named AstroBot, players can jump, hover, punch, and spin using haptic feedback on the controller. Though it’s not nearly as engaging as a full-on RPG or adventure game, it’s an incredible new development in the world of XR tech.
Cloud-Based Game Streaming
Cloud gaming remains one of the most promising frontiers in the industry—even if it’s been a little slow to launch. The idea is fantastic: allow gamers to sample and stream games just like they can on Hulu using a subscription. But streaming a game is much more demanding than streaming a TV show, which has made the tech clunky and unusable.
It seems that Xbox Game Pass Ultimate has pulled ahead of its competitors thanks to supporting a wide range of devices. Though players still have limited choices and will pay a high monthly fee, they have access to EA Play titles and can stream up to a resolution of 1080 pixels.
DIY Game Creation
Indie games have been a hugely important aspect of the industry—even if not everyone realizes they’re playing indie games. For example, Minecraft began as an indie project before being picked up by Mojang Studios. A few others include Cuphead, Stardew Valley, and Hades.
Back in 2020, Dreams, a game design company, decided to tackle the art of creating indie games. They drew on their experience from back in 1992 when they released a short RPG-maker. Now, they’re taking things even further with a fully equipped indie-game-creation suite, which includes tech to help creators design music, animation, and more.
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