Gaming is slowly taking over the entertainment industry, with Netflix finding out that for 2019, it’s most significant competition was Fortnite. Slowly but surely the question is changing from “What should we watch next?” to “What should we play next?”

With big names such as Apple, Google, and Amazon all coming out with their gaming products, we’ll soon see a complete takeover of the entertainment industry. Apple Arcade and Stadia already released in 2019, making streaming that much more uncomplicated, as there’s no need for a console.

With mobile gaming bringing in more than half of the income for the gaming industry last year, we’re all wondering “what’s next?” Will VR and AI games takeover? Will Sega remain strong and make the most of next gen gaming? Here are a few of our guesses in a full list of new sites here.

Virtual Reality (VR)

The virtual reality industry has certainly had its highs and lows over the years. The concept and promise of a fully immersive experience has some gamers sitting on the edge of their seats. But, unfortunately, the technology has failed to live up to all of the hype and expectations.

Having said that, 2021 looks like the year of change, as major companies such as Facebook and Sony have promised to change what they can do with VR by making significant investments in developing new VR hardware and many games. The hype might finally be backed up with the actual output. We don’t want another repeat of 2015 and 2016, which was all promise and no results!

For VR to become a success in 2021, a few things should be considered. Pricing will play a significant role in determining the success of the technology. Consumers can’t afford or justify spending insane amounts of money on new hardware, so it needs to be affordable and effective. Can hardware manufacturers find a good middle point or will they go all out and release expensive VR units that can do everything they say they want to bring to the table?

Another major issue is ergonomics. Bulky headsets are a no-go, and this must be resolved ASAP. You need to be able to sit or stand comfortably and be able to play the games without straining your neck. So once those hurdles are cleared, VR will take-off and we think 2021 is the year for (proper) lift off.

Community

What most gamers are after is an escape from reality, so that they can jump into a new reality – one where there is an accepting community that will provide them with hours of entertainment and conversation. Club Penguin was extremely popular in the early 2000s for a good reason! People enjoy being a part of a community and being able to escape into their fantasy worlds.

Games like Pokemon GO and Fortnite have created very large communities. Pokemon Go has over 67 million users in the United States alone. Fortnite has a whopping 250 million users around the world! So it is clear that community is crucial and 2021 will see an increase in community-based games.

By creating a community, games become more of a reality. With VR having the potential to blur the lines between reality and the virtual side of things, 2021 could be one of the most groundbreaking years in the gaming world. For instance, the player can feel and hold objects from the game in your hand and use your legs to move in the game instead of using a console or joystick will have players gobsmacked. A clear trend for 2021 is that our desire to escape is on equal terms with our desire to connect, even more so after what has happened to the world in 2020.

Games to expect in 2021

2021 will be jam-packed with new game releases. With the Xbox Series X and the PlayStation 5 set to release before the end of the year – although we do wonder with how much stock, what with the Covid-19 pandemic hitting the output of factories and other industries around the world – many games are scheduled for release in the coming months, designed specifically for the latest and greatest technology.

Far Cry 6 is set to be released as early as February 2021, and after what other games in the series have done in current gen hardware, it’s a game we’re certainly looking forward to playing. We’ll also be seeing Cyberpunk 2077 making an appearance – after a couple of delays – and we’re even getting the classic GTA 5 on next gen hardware. Due to the uncertainty of this year, some games do not have actual release dates, but as 2021 rolls closer and closer – and once both next gen consoles are out – we’re sure to learn about more and more games for 2021 and beyond!