Is mobile gaming the future? It very much looks like so. With the ability to play on the go and providing a more immersive gaming experience than ever, mobile gaming is gaining popularity amongst gamers at an exponential pace. It is only a matter of time that mobile gaming will take over desktop gaming at scale. When it comes to the future of smartphone gaming, better games, better devices and better technology that it runs on can be expected that will enhance the overall experience making it more wholesome.

Big tech companies like Google and Microsoft are already working on increasing their range of on-demand games and other gaming companies are also expected to follow suit in the coming years. Smartphone gaming is not just a reality for smartphone users, it is a trend so fast that it will likely change the rules of the industry quickly and in a very short time.

Mobile gaming: Here’s what its future looks like

The proportion of the people who don’t own a smartphone is shrinking rapidly. Here’s what should be remembered – People won’t always be able to own a PlayStation or a personal computer. Moreover, people can’t carry their PCs and Playstations everywhere. There are very high chances that people who don’t already own a smartphone will eventually buy one.

Additionally, people who already own a smartphone always think of upgrading to better phones when their old one can’t keep up or simply because they want to. This gives developers a chance to reach players at scale who’ve never been able to reach out to some of the major game vendors. Though there’s an option to sync up certain controllers with mobile devices, not all people want to own these. This is why the focus of putting everything on a single and smaller screen is so important.

So, with mobile gaming technology getting better everyday, here’s what can be expected from it in the future.

5G will fuel real-time multiplayer gaming

Telecom companies across the globe are working relentlessly towards bringing 5G to the world. The advancement of the telecom sector towards 5G will be a key contributor in taking the mobile gaming industry to a whole new level. 5G is said to be about 10 times faster than the present 4G. It will, obviously, increase the mobile internet speed drastically and also result in lesser congestion. What’s even better is that lower latency caused by 5G will address the issue of fast battery draining. Faster speed means the downloads will be much quicker. Additionally, loading games that need an internet connection to start won’t take too long.

Demand for real-time multiplayer games, like live dealer casinos and mobile gaming tournaments, is increasing rapidly. In such scenarios, the speed of the internet and reliability on the same can make a big difference when it comes to determining the winner.

Not just telecom companies, plenty of mobile companies are also recognizing the power of 5G. They also plan to leverage the lower latency capability of 5G In order to make their apps run more seamlessly. In 2019, Apple said that it would be working on manufacturing its chipsets in-house via the modem business of Intel to support 5G networks. Things like this would have a major impact on the size and quality available for smartphone gaming.

Mobile eSports will emerge with time

Gaming started out as something recreational. Though today most of the gamers play for fun, there are other gaming enthusiasts who have managed to make a living out of it. Numerous gaming competitions are held every year that reward winners with thousands of dollars. Though gaming and eSports are a PC-dominated industry, the past few years have seen a boom in mobile eSports. All time favorite games like ‘Arena of Valor’, ‘Summoners War’ and ‘Call of Duty’ have already entered the world of mobile gaming and eSports.

AR/VR acceptance will be gradual

pokemon go mobile game | iTMunch

While people are familiar with augmented reality and virtual reality (AR/VR) and are even fascinated with it, it hasn’t managed to create a buzz that it deserves yet. We did see Pokémon Go enjoyed by a lot of people worldwide, however AR/VR technology hasn’t read its peak yet. Developers are still finding it challenging to implement this technology into gaming and subsequently in mobile gaming.

What’s the challenges? Pricing. In 2015, Samsung had partnered with Oculus to design and provide users with the smartphone-empowered Gear VR for just $99. Google and LG followed footsteps by offering similar products. Since then, there was not much content and development seen in this area.

It is a complex scenario where there’s no audience for AR/VR as developers are not working on anything new, which is why there’s no new development. Why? Because, there is not enough interested audience! The current headsets are expensive, underpowered and bulky. Only time will tell whether there will be a tipping point any time soon.

SEE ALSO: 8 gaming technology advances that you should be excited about

More free-to-start mobile games will be released

Majority gamers in the world are casual gamers and mobile gaming companies are targeting these casual gamers. What’s to be noted is that casual gamers are hesitant and reluctant towards the idea of spending money on games they think they won’t play in the future. Top grossing mobile games, such as ‘Fate/Grand Order’ and ‘League of Legends’ are all free to download and play, but they do have plenty of in-app purchases. This tactic is known as free-to-start. It gives gamers an option of buying only if they want to while earning the game loyalty from free-to-play gamers.

Graphics and controls will enhance

As more celebrated names of the gaming industry are entering the realms of mobile gaming, mobile phone developers are taking notice and directing their resources towards enhancing their devices. To offer their customers a better gaming experience, they will simply have to invest in better graphics. Moreover, with the development of mobile games that can be played offline, mobile devices will also have to come with more storage and batteries that last longer.

What’s more, game developers will work in sync with mobile developers to see how gaming controls can be optimized in the device and how everything can fit into the device screen. Some controls and features might be removed or even combined with others so they don’t become a hindrance in the view of the game.

Big names that are moving to mobile gaming

  • Call of Duty is among the biggest names in the gaming industry to enter mobile
  • Riot Games is also entering the realms of mobile gaming. They’ve already made Legends of Runeterra and Teamfight Tactics available for mobile gaming
  • Reportedly, Riot Games is also working on the release of League of Legends: Wild Rift on mobile
  • Owner of Riot Games, Tencent is moving towards mobile gaming with some of its best games like Arena of Valor and PUBG Mobile
  • A gaming company known for its notable role in sharing games, NetEase has introduced immersive mobile games like Identify V and Rangers of Oblivion
  • In latest gaming news, Among Us has taken the mobile gaming world by storm. Among Us is a witty game of intrigue and murder that has encouraged hundreds of thousands of users to try out mobile gaming, and gaming in general

So, if you are to think about what is the future of mobile gaming, you should only be expecting increasingly more efficient devices and more immersive games as the mobile gaming technology keeps improving.

SEE ALSO: Gaming Technology Trends in 2021

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