Technology is changing faster than anyone can predict, and we are entering a major transition. 5G, the fifth generation mobile network, is set to change everything. Not only will 5G improve connection between devices in general, it will enable smartphones to download large files and provide the ability to seamlessly stream high quality video. Since technology is going to leap forward overall, it is no surprise that gaming will completely change. In the last 20 years, mobile gaming has skyrocketed. Not only has it become more lucrative than PC and console gaming, it’s set to become the easiest and most accessible way to engage with the most modern games.
The Rise of Smartphone Gaming
Since the first successful mobile phone game, the lines and dots that made up the game Snoke, premiered in 1997, the mobile gaming industry has only become more successful. Snoke was on the Nokia 6110 phone, what everyone started calling “the brick.” When Wi-Fi became available, the industry took a giant leap forward and games became available on most phones.
By the year 2012, smartphones were owned by the majority of people in the United States and the first reliable data reports became publicly available. With this information, the mobile gaming industry has become more versatile, anticipating consumer desires. From the beginning of app store data, it was clear that game companies were some of the biggest players in app stores. This cemented the mobile industry’s place in the gaming world.
Nowadays, mobile gaming is commonplace and mainstream. Though gaming on mobile devices didn’t surpass games on PCs and consoles until 2016, the industry’s rise to the top was only within 20 years. It is currently the number one way to play games, and it will become even easier as 5G becomes ubiquitous.
The Current State of Smartphone Gaming
With so many advanced in a short period of time, mobile gaming has hit a stand still. 4G can only provide so much speed and downloading abilities. In fact, today’s network makes multiplayer mobile networks in real time almost impossible. This goes even more so for competitive gaming.
Fortnite and other games have proved that the technology has advanced so far that the experience between console and PC gaming is seamless. According to the site MoneyPug, which is used to find the best mobile phone deals, the game developers have been very successful because of this, making over $100 million a day in direct revenue from the publisher. Other battle royale games are signaling that the industry has revived investment in augmented reality, the kind in which made Pokémon Go so successful.
2018 was a landmark year for mobile gaming. Now they are deeply embedded into the culture and everything points to the fact that the industry is just getting started, especially the advances in technology.
The Future of Smartphone Gaming
Within the next five years there will be many improvements to technology. The biggest advance coming is 5G, the fifth generation mobile technology. Plus, with the evolution of data science there are more accurate forecasts than ever. The increase of speed and connectivity will lead to highly personalized experiences. Artificial intelligence and virtual reality are two technological leaps that’ll be available everywhere very soon. Growth in the emerging markets of mobile gaming is predicted to be the highest category of consumer spending into the year 2023.
As 5G results in better streaming of higher quality video graphics, many mobile games will simply be streamed. This means that mobile gamers will have access to console and PC quality games everywhere they are and on every device. Furthermore, manufacturers are producing more and more game-focused phones that cater directly to mobile gamers.
Many things will change as 5G rolls out across the world, and the technology surrounding it will advance more quickly then we can imagine. Mobile gaming is just one of the fields where that will improve with the transition to 5G. It will make high quality graphics available on smart phones and multiplayer competitions won’t delay and cause trouble for both the hosts and the players. Whatever games you are into, 5G will surely facilitate the technology that’s used and gaming will change forever.
