NEWS5 Exciting Gaming Trends From Early 2024
Feb. 28 2024, Published 5:00 a.m. ET
The video game industry is constantly evolving and being shaped by emerging new technologies. It’s also one of the world’s fastest-growing industries and is expected to hit an incredible $583 billion before the end of the decade.
Let’s dive straight in and take a closer look at five exciting gaming trends from early 2024.
Five major gaming trends so far in early 2024
So far, in early 2024, there have been several exciting gaming trends, but before we reveal them all, let’s start with five major trends in the gaming world that have got people talking more than any others. They include the following:
- The broader adoption of immersive virtual reality (VR) and mixed reality (MR) technologies and devices, especially in mobile gaming. Devices like the Meta Quest 3 and the pioneering new Apple Vision Pro (or Spatial Computer as the company likes to call it) that was released in early February have also helped take VR gaming to the next level, and there has been a resurgence of augmented reality (AR) technology in gaming
- Esports tournaments and competitions are becoming more mainstream, and several big events have already taken place. The prize pools in 2024 for these events, such as the Esports World Cup, will be the biggest in Esports history. There have already been bigger audiences (online and offline) thanks to much better broadcasting coverage, as well as more lucrative sponsorship deals, and more people taking up eSports as a profession
- Live streaming capabilities have made live dealer gaming at licensed and regulated iGaming sites like 32RED in Hungary more popular than ever, with uninterrupted high-quality table and card games in real-time from award-winning providers
- Generative artificial intelligence (generative AI) has already had a huge impact on many aspects of the gaming industry in early 2024 and will continue to shape the industry for many years to come, transforming the players’ experience in many ways
- Cloud gaming is also helping to redefine the global gaming industry, eliminating the need for expensive high-end hardware. Cloud gaming or Gaas (Gaming as a Service) has also enabled remote access to huge volumes of online gaming content and is revolutionizing the gaming and entertainment sector like never before
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What other gaming trends are also hitting big in early 2024?
The gaming industry is also currently being shaped by many other trends, such as the mass adoption of blockchain networks, NFTs, and in-game cryptocurrency payments.
The game worlds and metaverses are getting bigger, better, and more visually stunning than ever, with photo-realistic levels of image fidelity thanks to the Unreal 5 engine and other cutting-edge game engines. Real-time ray-tracing games are also making game worlds more realistic.
Additionally, virtual worlds like the metaverse are becoming more popular with gamers thanks to things like in-game concerts, better VR gaming apps, and other VR entertainment apps that let you do everything from shopping online to meeting up with friends to exercising, visiting iconic locations on the planet such as the Pyramids of Giza and the Great Wall of China.
People can explore vast digital worlds, create their own digital avatars, and do so much more to escape the mundaneness of their physical reality.
Mobile gaming from smartphones and other handheld gaming devices, such as the Steam Deck, has also been popular in early 2024 as more people than ever move away from console gaming to playing from the convenience of a mobile/handheld device.
Retro gaming and remakes of older hit titles in higher definition are also making a comeback, from Space Invaders to Final Fantasy VII Rebirth.
Final thoughts
The gaming industry will continue to be shaped throughout 2024 by these same trends and several other emerging technological trends. It’s an exciting time for gamers across the globe.
