The future of gaming: what will online casinos look like X years from now?

Technology is developing at a rapid rate and mobile devices; consoles and computers are more powerful than ever before.

In just the last 20 years, we’ve evolved from primitive graphics and entirely offline experiences to advanced kit like the Nintendo Switch and Xbox One X.

And that’s not to mention the rise of gaming on our impressively advanced smartphones, which often have higher spec than our computers.

It’s not just the consoles that have levelled up either – the games themselves have developed exponentially to feature highly realistic and defined graphics and interface.

It’s hard not to wonder what the future of gaming might hold, and here at Coral, we’re naturally fascinated by the possibilities for the world of online casino gaming.

Technology is changing so fast that no single prediction could be dismissed as being too far-fetched.

Pavlos Sideris, of DoubleUp Media, has worked in the casino gaming industry for more than ten years.

He believes that the growing popularity of live dealer games can provide the catalyst behind future innovation.

“Online casino games themselves have changed relatively little over the last decade, with the focus mostly being on improving mobile compatibility and optimisation,” says Sideris.

“That being said, live dealer casinos have exploded in popularity in recent years and it wouldn’t be unreasonable to expect that the next leap would be towards virtual reality and augmented reality games.”

So, could AR and VR technologies set a new standard in gaming?

“AR and VR is undoubtedly the future of gaming and is already being widely adopted by gamers, the only barrier being the current cost of the hardware, lack of support for certain games, or practicality,” explains Sideris.

“The immersive experience will always be more attractive and offer more advantages to players compared to traditional 2D games, so it’s only a matter of time before VR and AR casino games become the norm, just as live dealer casinos have.

“There are literally only a handful of VR casino games available today but at least the trend has begun.

“Online casinos are notoriously slow to evolve in terms of technology, but once the technological barriers have been overcome, more VR and AR games are released, and online casinos themselves turn VR to provide a seamless experience for players, we can expect that this type of gaming will boom and probably become the standard.

“We are still some years away from that though.”

Sideris argues that while augmented reality is already a part of many users’ media experiences, casino platforms should also be wary of alienating more traditional players.

“AR is already prevalent in social media and casual gaming apps,” he adds, “so we can expect it to become even more widely adopted.

“Sadly, the public weren’t ready for Google Glass, but it will be back, and has already returned to be used in a professional context.

“But nostalgia will always keep certain features or games in demand, and the casino industry will want to continue to satisfy those die-hard fans.

“Flash-based games are already being phased out, and as more focus is put on mobile gaming, perhaps the desktop experience will one day be forgotten.”

As mobile gaming continues to grow, it’s hard not to speculate about the sort of immersive experience that could one day be available in our pockets.

Taking all of these trends into account, Coral Casino has produced a short film to visualise how we think the future of gaming might look.