(Newswire.net — December 28, 2021) — This article will look at five of the most significant trends in e-gaming over the next four years. These are only predictions, based on current market conditions and growth rates, but could very well happen if these conditions are maintained or accelerated.
5 eGaming Trends To Expect In 2022
1) Mobile eSports Revenue Will Double to >$100m in 2022, Driven by Professional Tournaments
ESports is already a huge market. In 2016 it generated over $500 million in revenue and that number is expected to double, to around $1 billion by 2020. However, the overwhelming majority of this revenue came from PC-based eSports games like League of Legends, Dota 2, or Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. Mobile eSports are still in their infancy. Despite being an incredibly popular format, the number of players who have tried mobile multiplayer games is dwarfed by PC and console users. On the other hand, the market for eSports on smartphones is predicted to be worth $1 billion by 2019.
The current rise in popularity of mobile eSports can be attributed to the success of Clash Royale. The game is extremely popular, not only among casual gamers but also with professional teams and tournaments due to its competitive nature.
Mobile eSports isn’t just limited to one game format either. Game publishers are starting to take advantage of the market by producing unique games specifically designed for e-sports tournaments. Hero Academy 2 is a great example of this; the turn-based tactics game was released in 2016 and was an instant hit with esports players. Like PC-based esports, mobile ones enter the sports betting industry and are currently available on such platforms as N1 Bet Casino.
2) VR Will Take Center Stage In 2022
Virtual Reality (VR) has been around for a few years now, but it’s only recently that the technology has become good enough to produce affordable and affective experiences. The latest PlayStation VR is an excellent example of this, offering a number of games at a relatively low price.
Currently, the most popular VR headsets are mobile versions such as Google Cardboard and Samsung Gear VR. They’re cheap to buy and require no extra hardware beyond your mobile phone. What’s more, is that these headsets are becoming increasingly popular. In 2016, 9 million VR headsets were shipped, a number that rose to 20 million by the end of 2017.
In addition to this, PC-based VR headsets such as Oculus Rift and HTC Vive have experienced a resurgence in interest over the past 12 months. The launch of Oculus Touch was a big success for Oculus, with the company reporting that most of the people who bought Touch also owned an Oculus Rift.
VR is perfect for e-sports and gaming in general. It offers a level of immersion that cannot be replicated by any other format. This will become more apparent as more VR games are released over the next few years. Expect to see VR take center stage in 2022.
3) PC Gaming Will Lose Out To Console Gaming In The Home
The home console market is declining. Sales figures for 2016 are down to the lowest they’ve been since 2009, although this isn’t surprising given that there hasn’t been a major hardware release in years. PlayStation 4 has dominated the market since 2013 and there is no sign of a new console on the horizon.
PC gaming is still going strong, but for how long? The PC platform has been subject to intense competition from mobile devices over the past few years and it looks as though this will finally have an impact on future developments in the sector.
In 2016, 73% of games purchased were from the PC platform. However, this number is expected to drop to 66% by 2021. Console gaming will see a slight rise in market share from 27% to 34%.
The reason for this shift is simple: mobile devices are becoming more powerful and can handle a wider range of games. In addition, they’re cheaper than traditional consoles and don’t require the purchase of additional hardware.
4) VR Will Be A Huge Success In 2022
VR has been one of the hottest topics in gaming for 2016, and it’s expected to be a big success over the next few years as more games are released. In fact, UBS predicts that revenues from VR software will rise from $1billion in 2016 to $12.6billion in 2022.
The most important aspect of VR isn’t the amount of money it can make, though. It’s all about how much it can expand the industry and introduce new gamers to the concept of e-sports and competitive gaming. Many people who have tried modern VR headsets believe that they represent a whole new era in gaming, and it’s this potential that is attracting so much investment.
5) Streaming Services Will Take Over The Gaming Industry
It’s no secret that streaming services are taking over the entertainment industry. In 2016, Netflix announced that they had more subscribers than all of the cable companies in the United States combined. This trend is only going to continue and it’s likely that we’ll see services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime dramatically increase their output of streaming content over the next few years.
This is bad news for traditional media companies such as Game, which recorded a revenue drop in 2016. This came about mainly because gamers are spending less time watching television and more time playing games or using other streaming services.
The gaming industry is still in a strong position, but it’s likely that streaming services will eventually take over completely. This will have a major impact on the way games are developed and marketed, and it’s something that we’ll need to keep an eye on in the next few years.
Conclusion
In conclusion, these are the five biggest eGaming trends that we should expect to see in 2022. With the rise of VR and other forms of streaming, traditional games will begin to decline as other sources become more accessible and popular. Whilst this may be bad news for some publishers, it’s likely to have a positive effect on e-sports as a whole.