Gaming Industry Trends 2023-2026

The gaming industry is undergoing major changes with the launch of next-generation consoles, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. However, it is crucial to note that there are other significant trends that people working in or following the gaming industry should also pay attention to. In this post, we will discuss such trends that are essential for the industry’s growth and success.

More Diversity In Games

While gaming has historically been a male-dominated industry, the number of female gamers is approaching 50%. Documented winners of various jackpots are mostly men, but it is expected that women will join the fray soon. However, only 30% of people working in the industry are female, which partly explains why most gaming protagonists are white males. Developers are starting to pay more attention to representation in their games, and are making women and minorities more prominent in the worlds they create. For example, The Last of Us Part II, one of the biggest releases of 2020, features a female protagonist. Further, top gaming platforms like Betway are currently witnessing an increased number of females joining.

More PC Gaming Entrants

The PC gaming industry is worth around $35 billion, and until recently, Valve’s marketplace, Steam, dominated the market. However, GOG.com has become a contender by offering older games that were previously hard to find on Steam, along with newer mainstream releases. GOG also differentiates itself by offering “DRM-free” games, allowing gamers to play without needing the platform to verify their purchase. Epic Games is seen as the biggest long-term challenger to Steam.

Expanded Cloud Gaming Services

Buying games online can have issues such as slow downloads and hardware performance problems. Cloud Gaming solves these problems by allowing gamers to stream games in real-time, without the need for downloading. It also allows gamers to use the latest hardware without investing in it, and publishers can monetize old games years after their release. Streaming services like PS Now provide Sony with a recurring revenue stream.

Battle For Next Gen Consoles

The launch of Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 consoles in 2020 will significantly impact the gaming industry trends for the next few years, along with the Nintendo Switch. The console with the best games is expected to lead the market, but each console has unique features that could give it an edge. For example, the PS5 boasts a high-end SSD that reduces load times, while the Xbox Series X has a “Smart Delivery” feature that provides a free upgrade of any Xbox One game purchased in the past.

Roblox Scaling Indie Gaming

Indie gaming has become more accessible thanks to platforms like Steam, allowing indie game developers to distribute their games more easily. This has led to the success of indie games like Among Us and Stardew Valley. Roblox is taking the trend of indie gaming to a new level by providing a platform that combines game creation and distribution. The platform has attracted over 200 million monthly active users, and although many of them don’t create games, some use Roblox Studio to build and iterate on their games with the help of the platform’s large user base.

The gaming industry is undergoing significant changes in terms of technology, which is having a profound impact on the development and consumption of games. This ranges from large-scale game studios developing major games for the latest consoles, to individual developers releasing indie games on various platforms, including Betway.