Current trends are positively reshaping the gaming experience, transforming virtual to reality through ICT innovation. As the gaming industry evolves, gaming enthusiasts are increasingly devouring cutting-edge technology, says Matthew Hall, product director at Rectron.
The virtual world has exploded with the number of gamers immersing themselves in online games. Just last year, the global gaming industry consisted of 2.3 billion consumers. Even more impressive, nearly $138 billion was spent on games.
This year, developers have been pushing the envelope like never before. Ray tracing (rtx) has seen a major push from companies like Nvidia, which allows lighting in games to reach near photo realism.
The gaming industry is showing no signs of slowing down, especially with eSports having officially entered the big leagues, cementing itself as the next billion-dollar industry. Just take the League of Legends World Championship last year, pulling in nearly a 100 million viewers.
Goldman Sachs estimates the monthly size of competitive esports gamers to reach 276 million by 2022. And a report by Newzoo revealed that the global esports audience is expected to reach 380 million this year.
Closer to home, gamers in South Africa spent over R3 million in 2017, according to PwC. This might only be a 2.37% of total South African entertainment and media spending in 2017, but the video gaming sector showed the fastest year-on-year growth rate at 16.8% of any of the media and entertainment sectors in the country.
With eSports taking-off and an influx of gaming enthusiasts entering the arena, gamers are looking to kit themselves out with the latest and greatest ICT technology. But inundated with options to choose from, what is a gamer to do? Let’s look at what’s trending and why.
Cross-platform gaming
Cross-platform multiplayer gaming is one trend that will continue, as it allows players on different gaming platforms to interact and play with users on other platforms. Really, cross-platform gaming has become ubiquitous.
Games like Fortnite pulled in a whopping 250 million players in March alone. Plus, global playing time reached 2.7 billion between May and June 2018.
Cross-platform games allow players on both PC and console to compete online. From a gaming standpoint, it doesn’t get much better than this as you can play with your friends who don’t have a PC.
Streaming gaming setups
There has been a noticeable increase in demand for streaming, which goes hand-in-hand with gaming setups.
Not so long ago, Corsair acquired Elgato which offers a full solution from video capture to controllers, lighting and green screens. Really, everything you need to turn your bedroom into a live studio.
High-end machines
Dedicated gamers still prefer to go for high-end machines powered by the 20 series cards, like the 2060s and 2070s.
On the processing power front, there has been major demand for the new Intel 9th gen processors, which are currently available in I5, I7 and I9.
Going wireless
Wireless technology has come a long way, making the old wireless lag now a thing of the past.
Comfort, precision and style are all key factors when it comes to wireless mice, keyboards and headsets, all offering RGB solutions which allows for customisation and individual expression.
Headsets offering the full surround experience, are products like Corsair Void Pro and Cooler Master MH752.
Comfort
Gamers spend a lot of time in front of their PC’s, so comfort is important when it comes to headsets and chairs.
Gamers are opting for ergonomic chairs to combat physical discomfort. But taking it a step further, are chair likes Corsair’s T2 Road Warrior and Cooler Master’s R1, providing lumbar and neck support, and they are available in a range of colours and various changeable settings.
As for headsets, gamers seek comfort and sound over a variety of other features. Why? Well, imagine an hour into gaming and your headset starts to hurt, the rest of the features don’t really matter.
Popular peripherals
Peripherals continue to be a big push from all vendors as gamers can now customise their systems like never before. You can have a great gaming rig, but your experience is likely to be poor without top-notch accessories.
Gamers want the best screen with a high refresh rate, so 144hz screens are quickly becoming the norm, and for good reason! The fast response time and liquid smooth feel is immediately apparent from the very first use.
There has also been a noticeable increase in demand for larger screen boasting a higher resolution. Why? Well, due to the cinematic experience they deliver.
But, overall RGB is where everyone is at with case fans, coolers, motherboards, all sporting RGB LED’s as a default. Software, such as Corsair’s iCUE and Cooler Master’s MasterPlus+, allows you to customise your PC’s look to the fly all by choosing the colour of your setup with one simple click of a mouse.
This year has we have seen many advances in the tech space, with new gaming trends emerging and catapulting existing ones into new dimensions, transforming and enhancing gamers experience. All-in-all, 2019 is chalking up to be a great year for gaming.