Technology has played an increasingly important role in UK life over the last couple of decades having a massive impact on how we choose to stay entertained.
The internet has been a real game changer in terms of online entertainment, positively disrupting how media is consumed.
Gaming is another niche within UK entertainment which has been influenced by digital tech and the online revolution. This has led to online gaming becoming more popular in recent years. Part of this is due to its use of technology.
But just how has cutting-edge tech transformed online gaming?
Rise of casinos in online play
Online gaming is a broad niche that includes playing casino games via secure iGaming platforms. These platforms have risen to prominence changing how people play online using tech.
Live chat software is a good example, enabling the best casinos to deal with player queries faster. Of course, the best internet casinos also use robust firewalls and SSL data encryption technologies to look after players’ sensitive data.
As well as allowing online casinos to offer a superior gaming experience, tech has made online gaming a much more varied space. It gives players more choice in how they game online. It has seen online gaming generate billions per year in revenue. As shown at https://www.newcasinos.com/reviews/the-sun-play/, the UK’s best online casinos use the most modern tech to wow their players.
Mobile-based gameplay
The size of the UK’s mobile gaming market in 2024 is projected to hit around $1.3 billion. This figure is expected to grow to $1.65 billion by 2027. What these figures show is that playing games online via mobile is the de facto choice for many.
The rise of mobile casinos has been made possible due to the latest technology. The most obvious example of this is the increasingly sophisticated, internet enabled mobile devices we use to play games (such as the HONOR Magic Pro 6). Tech like this makes modern mobile devices much easier to play games on and has changed how people enjoy this activity.
5G mobile phone networks are also important in terms of moving people towards mobile gaming. This is because faster networks provide a smoother, faster playing experience. As a result, they have brought more people over to mobile gaming online and changed how this niche operates.
VR and AR for online play
Both virtual reality and augmented reality technologies have played their part in transforming online gaming. VR for example allows players to enjoy a much more immersive and authentic experience when gaming online. This is achieved through headsets like the Oculus Rift and specific games which have been developed with VR gaming in mind.
By allowing people to experience a next-level gaming session like no other, VR tech has become a popular part of online gaming and something that many people now indulge in.
The same is broadly true for AR tech, but this works in a different way. Instead of taking players into a totally virtual world, AR overlays digital elements into a real-world setting. The hit game Pokémon GO is the best example of AR in gaming, it demonstrates how this tech has allowed online play to expand into new areas over time.
Enhanced graphics and processing power
When it comes to advancing tech changing the face of online play, improvements in graphics and processing power must be mentioned. This is something which has greatly enhanced the overall quality of online games across PC, console, and mobile. In addition, it has allowed online gamers to enjoy a truly awesome playing experience and led online gaming as a whole to evolve.
Modern GPUs for example enable the latest digital titles to deliver life-like graphics, detailed animations, and beautiful landscapes. This has been built on further by developers using ray tracing technology to accurately simulate how light interacts with objects in games. Add to this blazing fast CPU’s that enable devices to deliver a lag-free digital gaming experience like no other.
Advances in sound for online games
How online games look and perform has been transformed over time thanks to cutting-edge technology. Sound has also been impacted positively, Dolby Atmos is a good example of this. 3D audio technology helps online games deliver immersive soundscapes to impress players.
These sorts of tech allow online games to simulate directional audio sounds, giving a sense of spatial awareness to players in real-time. In turn this has made online games more realistic in how they sound, it has left the industry looking a lot different now than even a few years ago.
Voice recognition technology is yet another example of how the latest audio developments are changing online gaming. Whether it’s AI-backed voice assistants providing help in games, or voice recognition for player commands, this technology is making online games even more engaging.
Cloud-based gaming tech
If online gaming itself was once a revolutionary new breakthrough in how people in the UK game, cloud-based gaming is the next step forward. This has led to the rise of platforms like Google Stadia, which gives users access to a huge library of games to stream online.
As you would expect, high-end streaming lies at the heart of these platforms, and large-scale data centres also play their part. All of this helps cloud gaming sites to make online gaming more accessible and enjoyable to users. As more people start to access these kinds of platforms to play games online, the face of digital gaming itself is beginning to change.
Machine learning and AI
When you consider how AI and machine learning have transformed many sectors recently, it’s no shock to find they have changed the face of online gaming too. Enhanced AI software for example has enabled studios to produce games where NPC’s (non-playable characters) exhibit more lifelike behaviour. This leads to a more satisfying and authentic experience.
Many game companies now use machine learning in their design process to create more realistic landscapes or support customised gaming experiences for players. This helps the online gaming sector deliver a richer and more personal gaming experience to its players. By adopting these technologies, the online gaming space has really changed a lot in the last few years.
Latest technology key for changing online gaming
Online gaming is a niche that is based on the latest digital technologies using them to offer players new ways to have fun. This means that it’s constantly incorporating the latest tech developments to evolve. Over time, this can transform what online gaming looks like and how people choose to interact with it. This has certainly been true over the last few years, where cutting-edge tech has revolutionised this way of gaming.
