Cutting edge gaming technologies allow gamers to experience games in a fully immersive way.

Technologically, video games have advanced a long way from their beginnings. The billion-dollar industry has grown from pixels to almost photo-realistic graphics and has spread from arcade machines to personal computers, consoles, mobile devices such as tablets and phones, and virtual reality headsets. You can find reviews of many of these at Hotrate.com.

Gaming technology predictions for the future can really change the game for the upcoming new generation gamers.

Technology associated with video games will only continue to evolve and develop throughout the year 2020 and into the future.

Here are seven gaming technology predictions that are likely to be a reality by 2020.

1. Hyper-immersive gameplay through virtual reality (VR) and photorealistic graphics.

Although virtual reality is not exactly future video game technology, the graphics are typically still very cartoonish and the level of immersion can be clunky. Although photorealistic graphics have been achieved with PC games, and console games commonly feature them, virtual reality has yet to catch up. With future gaming technology, virtual reality headsets will be able to render 3D graphics that are almost indistinguishable from real-life. They will also have ironed out the hardware capabilities that currently keep gamers from hyper-immersive gameplay.

2. Open-source game development.

The gaming development scene is largely dominated by AAA game developers, as well as smaller companies. This prevailing environment may fade in the future as new tools arise that make it less important to procure a software development kit (SDK) and easier for independent game developers or even lone wolves to create and release their own games. Outside of actual developers, the gamer community has shown itself to be more than capable of making extensive modifications to existing games (which sometimes become games in their own right, like Killing Floor) and creating breakout indie hits. It will be interesting to see where open-source development takes gaming in the future.

3. Gaming in the cloud.

This prediction builds off the increasing importance of cloud computing technology as internet connections become faster and more reliable. With future technology, you will be able to play a game from any device with an internet connection, just as you can stream music and video. This future gaming technology will also entail making downloading updates obsolete, as you can access the updated game through the internet, and will also probably make video games cheaper and more accessible to those who don’t have access to PCs or consoles.

4. Increasing use of augmented reality, or AR.

Like virtual reality (VR), augmented reality has been around for a while, but it has yet to be fully utilized in connection with video games. The wild success of Pokémon Go only gave us a hint of the potential that this future video game technology has in store. Augmented reality can be used with gaming apps through smartphones as in the case of Pokémon Go, or it may be used with virtual reality/augmented reality headsets and future game consoles. Another future video game technology augmented reality can be used with is through a wearable device such as a smartwatch or Google Glass.

5. The return of handheld consoles.

Handheld consoles seemed to have died out in the 2000s, with immobile video game consoles such as the Xbox and PlayStation taking their place. However, the success of the Nintendo Switch has signaled that there is still very much an audience for a mobile device dedicated to video games, rather than playing on a smartphone or tablet. Handheld future game consoles could be an important part of gaming technology in and beyond 2020. Handheld future game consoles would appeal to both nostalgic older gamers and gamers who are looking to play on the go without the distraction of other apps on smartphones or tablets.

6. Secondary screens and devices for gaming.

The big three companies in video game consoles, Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony, are tapping into the video game market on handheld devices like smartphones and tablets by creating secondary gaming devices that players can use to supplement the main screen or device that they are playing on. Nintendo’s Wii U GamePad features a touchscreen that augments the primary screen where the game is featured. The Xbox SmartGlass app, created by Microsoft, can be downloaded onto smartphones and tablets to act as an additional tool to enhance the game that is played on another primary device. Sony has integrated their handheld PS Vita device with their PlayStation 3 console so that players can use the cross-play feature so they can stop playing on one of these devices and start playing on the other one.

7. Social or collaborative virtual reality (VR).

Virtual reality is often seen as a technology that isolates gamers from other people. But with future gaming technology, players can connect with each other in a virtual space rather than play alone. Games such as VRChat are already making this a reality. The future of virtual reality could very much be a space for social interaction rather than isolation.

Gaming isn’t being left behind in the major moves being made toward amazing technology. Gaming platforms are continuously being improved and new ones are being created on the cutting edge technology that is released every day. Check out GearHungry.com for some of these technologies. These technologies show massive promise in the worldwide gaming industry.