Since the beginning of the COVID pandemic in 2019, the gaming industry has been facing some significant challenges. Even though we have seen the release of a few new consoles and many incredible video games, it has been easy neither for developers nor for players. Apart from the pandemic, there are many other challenges that the gaming sphere will face in 2022. This does not mean, however, that the entire industry will go down in flames. In fact, such challenges result in many insanely good games and products being developed.
While many ongoing issues stem from the restrictions imposed because of the global pandemic, some problems are of different nature. Here are a few prominent challenges that the gaming sphere is expected to face in 2022.
Problems with supply – ever since 2019, the gaming sector has been suffering from significant supply problems. We all remember how difficult it was to get your hands on a brand-new PlayStation 5. The situation is still the same, not to mention the delivery of physical copies of the games and various related merchandise. However, the console market suffers the most. This is happening due to the shortage in console parts necessary for manufacturing. Pair that with the growing demand for gaming gear during these trying times, and the supply issues are expected to continue even beyond 2022.
Not the year for consoles – with some major console releases that happened just before 2022, experts do not expect to see any significant releases this year. One of the most anticipated consoles in the near future is Nintendo Switch Pro, and specialists believe that it will not arrive until the next year.
Mobile gaming issues – numerous legal disputes continue to take place in the mobile gaming sphere. With the changes in the terms and conditions of such prominent distribution platforms as the App Store and Play Market, mobile game developers are facing great challenges.
Decrease in blockchain solutions – the idea of incorporating blockchain features in video games was booming lately, but the gaming industry specialists believe that this craze will calm down by the end of 2022. While there is still a bright future expected for tokens and NFTs in the gaming realm in the future, the current market is slowly becoming oversaturated with games that rely on tokens, which decreases their value.
Gaming pass features – the Game Pass solution by Windows currently dominates the subscription market in this sphere. However, Sony is expected to release a similar service soon. Specialists think that this company will have tough competition with the existing service as it already owns a huge portion of this industry.
Despite all the challenges expected to affect the gaming sector in 2022, there is also room for new achievements and great releases. With the pandemic finally decreasing and some restrictions lifting all across the globe, it is only a matter of time before this industry pushes through the tough times and enters a new glorious era.