There isn’t a single industry in the world that has been left untouched by technology, but technology’s influence is much greater in some industries than others. Nowhere is that more apparent than in the world of gaming, which always seems to be at the forefront of the latest tech trends. From gaming’s early days of pixelated scenes to today’s photorealistic graphics and immersive experiences, gaming is always changing. Emerging tech is making gaming more realistic and, at the same time, more accessible and inclusive. In this article, we look at how cutting-edge technology has turned the gaming industry on its head and what that means for everyone who loves games.
Online Casinos
There are few places where the influence of cutting-edge technology is more apparent than in online casinos. Up until a few years ago, when people wanted to play their favourite casino games, they planned trips and travelled miles to get the real casino experience. Whether they went to Las Vegas or London, their experience had one thing in common — it played out in a brick-and-mortar establishment. Most would agree that the casino experience has come a long way. Instead of packing a suitcase, players can sit down in front of their computers or pull out their phones to play their favourite games. With live dealer games, they get an experience that’s even closer to the real thing, where they can interact with dealers and other gamers.
There’s a lot of terminology for new players to master when they get started with playing casino games. An important concept is RTP meaning, which refers to how much of the total money wagered on a game is expected to be paid back to players over time. If a game has a 95% RTP, then, in theory, for every $100 wagered, $95 is returned to players as winnings. If a player chooses a game with a high RTP, it increases their chances of success. Once they’ve mastered the terminology and what games they want to play, technology takes care of the rest.
Enhanced Realism in Gaming
For people who’ve witnessed the evolution of video games from the 1970s to the present, the changes are nothing short of breathtaking. For those who weren’t around back then, there are retro games that give us a glimpse of what earlier games used to be like. When you look at the pixelated masterpieces from 40+ years ago and compare them to today, it’s hard to believe how far gaming has come and how much technology has improved.
Graphics processing units (GPUs) are behind some of the biggest improvements in the realism of games. Cutting-edge GPUs like NVIDIA’s RTX series use technologies like ray tracing and high-definition textures to bring the images we see on the screen to life. Ray tracing works by simulating light’s physical behavior. As a result, developers are able to produce games with realistic lighting, shadows, and reflection. You can see this technology at work in games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Red Dead Redemption 2. These games use high-definition textures to create lifelike environments.
Virtual reality technology is taking realism in video games even further, allowing players to step into the universes of the games they play. As the prices of VR headsets like Oculus Rift and HTC Vive decrease, more and more players are getting in on the action. These headsets feature technology like haptic feedback and motion tracking, which helps players really feel like they’re a part of the game and lends more realism to the VR experience. We can look at games like Half-Life: Alyx and Beat Saber to see the potential of VR, where players can use physical movements and in-game actions to accomplish the tasks in the game.
Accessibility and Inclusivity
Thanks to cloud gaming, gamers no longer need an expensive gaming PC or console to enjoy AAA titles. NVIDIA GeForce Now, Amazon Luna, and Xbox Cloud Gaming let gamers play the best games directly on their devices, including smartphones and tablets. These services use powerful remote servers to run the games and allow users to stream them in real-time. For a long time, Apple computers weren’t considered good candidates for gaming; however, with GeForce Now, they’ve been transformed into powerful gaming machines. Cloud gaming has made gaming more accessible to those who don’t want to own or can’t afford expensive gaming hardware.
