What 2022 has in store for the Games Industry

By Diane Hutchinson, Junior Consultant at FIAB (formerly GirlGamers UK)

Even though the last couple of years have been unusual, to say the least, the video games industry keeps moving forward at high speed. What does this mean for 2022? Well, only time will tell, but there are a few trends that will undoubtedly continue to grow and entertain gamers across the world.

Cloud Gaming

Since the days of floppy disks and cartridges, video gaming has made leaps and bounds. The days of the physical media are nearly at a close, replaced instead by often lengthy download times for digital media. Sure, it saves having to trek to the shops to get the latest title, but it is rarely quicker. Instantly being able to get into a new game is one of the highlights of Cloud Gaming, where a video game is streamed directly to the players device with little or no delay. When it works well, it really is a game changer.

The other advantage to Cloud Gaming is that all the hard work of running the game is taken care of elsewhere. This means that players need not worry about having the latest device on which to play the game, or potentially forking out hundreds of pounds for new PC components, levelling the field to allow any interested player to play any game exactly as the developer intended. 

Given how far Cloud Gaming can go, it is still really in its infancy. Sony and Microsoft, along with Google, Nvidia and others already have their services up and running to provide hassle-free gaming to the masses. These services will continue to grow and improve through 2022 and beyond, offering new content and reaching more players. I think it will be a while before home consoles and pricey gaming PCs are completely replaced with simple apps on a smart TV, but it certainly seems to be heading that way.

VR, AR and Metaverse

Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality almost feel like they have been on pause for the last few years. With VR, the cost of entry is prohibitively high for many people, yet new games and applications continue to be rolled out for anyone who has access to a headset. Virtual Reality has moved into new areas, such as real estate, proving that the technology is still advancing and finding its place in the world. For gamers though, the big news will be the announcement of PlayStation VR2. This new headset will give everyone who has managed to get their hands on a PlayStation 5 the best console VR experience, and will no doubt prove to be popular. PlayStation VR 2 is due to launch towards the end of this year, although there is every chance it will be delayed. Still, it does mean another burst of interest in Virtual Reality for gamers. There are other VR headsets that could be coming to market this year, and the relatively cheap Oculus Quest 2 headset is a great entry point that will continue to grow. 

When it comes to Augmented Reality, the hype that came from the launch of Pokémon Go back in 2016 seems to have died off. There have been other big AR games released since then, but none have reached the heights of Pokémon Go's popularity. With AR so easily accessible on smartphones, it is possible that something big will come along and once again capture the public's interest, but the arrival of dedicated AR glasses will more likely be what kicks off the Augmented Reality craze again. I don't think that 2022 will be the year that we see those AR glasses become available to the public, but I fully expect plenty of news about new devices in development to keep the technology fresh in people's minds. 

But you can't talk about VR or AR without mentioning Metaverse. What is the Metaverse? Well, I don't think anyone really knows, or at least people have very different ideas. It seems that the Metaverse will make use of Virtual Reality or Augmented Reality. It may have us all going to meetings in virtual spaces or enjoying concerts with far away friends. We may all have avatars in these virtual spaces and hang out with other avatars to watch movies and such. Virtual worlds and marketplaces are available right now, but how they will differ in the Metaverse is not very clear. While it will likely be years until we see the full force of the Metaverse in action, hopefully this year will give some more clarity on exactly how companies will be bringing this idea to life.

PS5, Xbox Series X/S and Switch

2022 is already in full swing, and the console war between PlayStation and Xbox rages on. There are still shortages with the new consoles, and that doesn't seem like it will change anytime soon. Aside from all of the exclusive games that will be launching across these two platforms, of which I am sure many will be great, I think 2022 will be the year that PlayStation launches a service to compete with the hugely popular Xbox Game Pass. With more than 20 million subscribers, Xbox Game Pass is an impressive service that offers a huge library of video games for a monthly subscription. It also offers access to Cloud Gaming which, as already mentioned, is the future. Of course, PlayStation already has its Now service, which essentially offers the same sort of thing for Sony fans, including streaming. But news of a new service in development by PlayStation is exciting.

Expect more epic gaming experiences from both Sony and Microsoft as players get to see more of what the new generation of consoles are capable of. Both the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X/S are still in their infancy, so services should be expected to evolve as bigger and better games are released.

But what of the Nintendo Switch? Nintendo had its time in the console wars back when it was competing with SEGA. Nowadays, Nintendo does what Nintendo does, which is incredibly popular. While the Switch cannot compete with the Xbox and PlayStation offerings in pure power, the portability of the handheld console makes it the perfect companion console. Throw in the uniqueness that can be found in many of Nintendo's own games, and it is no surprise that the Switch has sold so well around the world. 

There was disappointment from the Nintendo fans with the announcement of the OLED Switch, which launched last year. Many wanted a more powerful console rather than just an upgraded screen, although the screen is very impressive. Maybe this year will see a new Switch announced, but I doubt it.

And then...

With the last couple of years seeing many video games being delayed, 2022 seems set to be a massive year for gamers with plenty of new titles set to launch. However, the current trend of remastering older titles and re-releasing titles on new platforms seems set to continue. Mobile gaming will continue to grow as games and services on phones and tablets blur the lines between mobile and console games. 

Then there are the new platforms. The Steam Deck will bring portability to PC gamers and the idea of PC gaming to the Switch fans, while little, crowd-funded handhelds, such as the Playdate, seem to be popping up on a near weekly basis. Esports will continue to grow, especially as they debut at Asian Games 2022 this September. NFTs will become more commonplace in video games through the year, for those that understand such things, and gamers being able to earn money from games will be much more of a possibility.

However you look at it, 2022 promises to be a big year for gaming. Video games will be accessible by more people than ever before with the quality of games continuing to go up. Metaverse may well be the next big thing, once everyone involved works out exactly what it is, but until then gamers will continue to enjoy great new experiences on their Xbox, PlayStation, Switch, PC, or whatever other device they choose to use. It's a good time to be a gamer.