Gaming is well and truly back on track in 2022. There may still be the odd report of supply struggles for the PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X, but for the most part, gaming is in full swing. Big hitters like Horizon Forbidden West, Elden Ring, and Pokémon Legends Arceus have already exceeded very high expectations on the software front, but we’ve also seen a stark uptick in innovative trends beyond the games themselves.
These are the key three innovative gaming trends that have already amassed popularity coming through the early months of this year.
Virtual Reality
From niche, almost-novelty, premium gaming, virtual reality has slowly emerged as a popular way to play. Price points were the main barrier for entry, but now VR has become infinitely more accessible, both in terms of price and the creation of inclusive fitness games like FitXR. Designed to be a total body workout game for people with disabilities, it’s an example of another step toward a much broader appeal.
The big news of the year that prompted a VR gear fire sale was Meta’s (formerly Facebook) plans for the Metaverse: a virtual reality world for everyone to do just about anything. PSVR was one of the first big breakthroughs as a cost-effective, high-quality headset, but now Meta’s Oculus range offers a similar grade for gaming. On the way, though, is the PSVR 2, which will take VR gaming to a whole new level.
Bonuses
Gamers are becoming accustomed to getting things for free, primarily due to the sheer level of competitiveness between companies on each platform. You’ll see Epic Games giving away free games to get the edge over Steam, and even PC gaming bundles are offering bonus stuff. With 33 percent off for the Razer Huntsman and 60 percent off for the mini gaming keyboard, you’d get a completely free-of-charge Razer Viper Ultimate Wireless Mouse.
There are bonuses and freebies all across gaming if you know where to look, but nowhere is this more evident than in online casino gaming. Right now, the best casino bonuses in the UK span all of the top-rated platforms. Some opt to offer deposit match bonuses and free spins, while others present the coveted no-deposit bonuses, either as a sum of funds or free spins. Either way, there’s free gaming to be claimed, and with the amount of competition now, this trend will only continue.
Motion Controls
Still a bit of a niche to the Nintendo platform if we’re discussing pure home console gaming, but there’s certainly broad appeal in games with motion controls. A big one that, understandably, rapidly sold out in 2020 is Ring Fit Adventure. It uses motion controls to the absolute maximum and showcases that when games fully commit to the motion controls gimmick, they can be very good and popular. Continuing this trend will undoubtedly be Nintendo Switch Sports, bringing back the party fun of the classic Wii Sports.
These are the innovative gaming trends that have already picked up a lot of steam. As VR kits offer higher-powered gaming, bonuses get even more competitive, and more motion-centric games are created, they’ll all become even more prominent in gaming. Still on the way, though, there’s Google’s reworked attempt at popularising cloud gaming, and the Steam Deck proving that triple-A handheld gaming is big business.
