The gaming industry is constantly evolving as it adapts to new consumer preferences. From virtual reality, which helps create fully simulated environments, to the power of cloud computing, gaming tech has been nothing but cutting-edge over the last few years. As we move to the second part of the decade, if recent tech trends are anything to go by, it is more likely that the days of traditional consoles and controllers may truly be behind us. In this piece, we highlight gaming tech trends we believe will change the way gamers experience games in 2026 and beyond.
Cross-platform game developers
When Final Fantasy XI allowed cross-play between PC users and PlayStation 2 back in the early 2000s, most gamers thought this would be the beginning of a major shift in the gaming world. However, progress throughout the 2010s was quite slow, mainly due to server limits and differences in device architectures, data processing methods, and operating systems, among other challenges.
Fast forward to today: developers can now create game engines leveraging Unity, Unreal, and Godot frameworks, containing a single codebase that allows them to run on all devices. The unified codebases help reduce development costs since developers now need only to build one version that works across all platforms.
The next step in cross-platform tech evolution is cloud gaming. This tech not only allows seamless switching but also lets players run demanding games on low-end devices, such as mobile phones. GeForce Now and PlayStation Remote Play already support cloud gaming. Better yet, players now don’t have to download a game. Cloud gaming will let you stream the game in real-time without performance-related issues. It’s no surprise that the number of cloud gaming users is expected to hit over 480 million by the end of 2026.
Blockchain technology
It was always going to be a matter of time before blockchain transformed the gaming industry. More so, with the rising popularity of in-game assets, the potential of blockchain-based gaming in opening new and greater economic opportunities for gamers could be unmatched.
Today, some of the main drivers of blockchain-based gaming include GameFi, a concept that combines decentralized finance and gaming, and the Play-to-Earn (P2E) model. The concept of Metaverse intellectual property is also helping reshape modern gaming. Blockchain technology allows in-game assets to be minted as NFTs. The advantage is that players can’t lose their assets, as they are stored in their crypto wallets.
The future of blockchain tech in gaming will see interoperability between games. Imagine being able to easily transfer your game skin from Fortnite to CoD or even Minecraft, simply by linking your NFT wallet to these platforms. Sony already filed a patent in 2023 for an NFT framework that enables the transfer and use of digital assets across game platforms – a clear indication that in-game item interoperability might not be so far from our consoles.
While the GameFi space has been on a slow burn since the explosion of platforms such as Axie Infinity and Decentraland in 2022, prominent investors believe that the sector will experience significant growth in the second half of the decade. Yat Siu, the executive chairman of Animoca Brands, recently claimed in an interview with VentureBeat that the GameFi Space only needs to overcome the fraud and scam perception that comes with crypto, and there will be a greater uptake, especially within America and Europe.
AI-driven graphics and real-time ray tracing
There is a reason GTA VI has generated so much hype – its 90-second trailer released in 2023 holds the Guinness World Record of having more than 90 million views within 24 hours. While it is expected to be a trailblazer in open-world gaming, the game’s realistic-looking images and real-time graphics will set a new industry benchmark.
Gaming graphics haven’t been the same since real-time ray tracing came into play in the late 2010s. AI integration is now expected to evolve this technology. Today, developers are combining AI with real-time ray tracing through dedicated hardware such as NVIDIA’s Tensor Cores to create immersive and visually stunning photorealistic graphics.
The use of AI for rendering has already been taken up by Canadian game studios like BioWare, known for Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, and Polish companies such as CD Projekt, which have created visually stunning AAA titles such as Cyberpunk 2077.
Immersive experiences with VR and AR
Virtual reality and Augmented reality are no longer futuristic technologies but normal concepts. In recent years, we’ve already seen VR and AR incorporated in iGaming spaces, including online casinos, live dealer games, and even traditional gaming niches such as U.S. sweepstakes casinos, as the industry seems to get a piece of the interactive experience offered by the tech.
Companies such as Sony (PS5) and Microsoft (Xbox) are looking to blend VR and AR to allow players to experience gaming in real-world spaces. Developers expect this technology to be more widely adopted in esports, where it can create immersive environments for spectators at live events. Platforms such as Esports Virtual Arena are already spearheading full immersion in virtual reality in an effort to foster real-time interactions among esports players and fans.
The gaming industry can only get better and more dynamic as we head into 2026. From cloud gaming and immersive play driven by VR and AR to blockchain and NFTs, we believe next year is when top tech innovation will meet accessibility.