Gaming’s Next Evolution
How bold graphics, striking story-lines and futuristic technologies are creating authentic experiences IRL
Ever since the first 16-bit video games made their debut in the 1980s, game developers have sought to make video games more and more realistic—moving beyond arcade button-mashers and side-scrollers and into the world of sandbox RPGs, first-person-shooters and playable novels. Now, with next-gen consoles and next-gen games on the rise, we’ve discovered a whole new realm of immersive experiences, driven by ultra-realistic graphics and gameplay, but also by the emotional connections we form with the characters—as well as with other players.
Discover how gaming’s biggest titles are challenging the old boundaries of reality and escaping the confines of our TV screens. Plus, how you can bring them to life like never before with the next generation of Samsung devices and displays.
Uncanny valley here we come
When it comes to graphics, games have come a long way in the last 30 years, as developers get closer and closer to creating characters and worlds that are indistinguishable from real life. But it’s not only new games that are getting the upgrade. Many developers have been going back to their most popular games and remastering them with today’s graphics, giving gamers a nostalgia trip that looks and plays even better than the original. One of gaming’s biggest titles, Halo 2, is one of the first of these revisits, refining and improving the original game into Halo 2: Anniversary. And by introducing the latest technology, we can push things even further—which is exactly what we’ve done with the Galaxy Z Fold3 5G. A must have gadget for any serious gamer, the Z Fold3 lets you play full Xbox games over Xbox Game Pass, so you can dive into Halo 2: Anniversary from literally anywhere you can find a signal. And with its glorious, tablet-like main display, the future of mobile phones is also the future of gaming.
Realistic games.
Realistic emotions.
Beyond graphics and gameplay, one of the ways in which games have evolved most is their ability to create very real emotional connections. When the first Gears of War was released in 2006, it was beloved by fans, mainly due to the fact that you could chainsaw through your enemies in bloody finishing cut-scenes. Now, 15 years later, Gears has become one of gaming’s most iconic franchises, with recurring characters, themes and storylines that keep fans coming back for more than just the gore. In other words, it’s no longer about beating your high-score, it’s about the feelings you get as you follow the story from one game to the next.
That’s said, it’s not just down to story-telling. It’s a whole lot easier to form an emotional connection to a character rendered in 4K resolution on an Odyssey Gaming Monitor, than it was to become attached to a 16 bit blob. As games, and the tech we use to play them, become more advanced, the benefits of technology will only become more obvious.
Thrills and skills: who says gaming isn’t educational?
Of course, not all games have to be emotional—some can actually teach you a skill or two. The historical Real Time Strategy game, Age of Empires IV can teach you a lot about ancient history—combining intelligent gameplay and rich visuals to give you an interactive experience that you can stream on your PC using Xbox Game Pass. On the other end of the spectrum, you have sensational racing games like DIRT 5, whose cars and locations are so detailed, you actually feel like you are driving a real car. That means, with the Galaxy Z Fold3 5G and Xbox Game Pass, you can literally practice driving on your phone. Talk about no time wasted.
A new kind of
gaming community
While a lot has changed since the 16-bit days, the area with the biggest impact is probably the rise of gaming communities—not just the matchmaking lobby where kids go to trash talk each other—but actual, real-life communities, with friends, adversaries, mentors and fans. Sea of Thieves has become one of the most complex gaming communities, allowing players to band together, fight between each other and even teach each other, with older players taking new users under their wings and showing them the ropes of the virtual sea. Thanks to higher connection speeds from futuristic technologies like 5G and Wi-Fi 6, we can now collaborate and compete at a level we wouldn’t have believed 10 years ago, and with clearer audio from earbuds like Galaxy Buds2, you can hear and be heard by your fellow gamers as if they were sitting on the couch next to you.
Ready for the future of gaming?
Well get ready. Experience new levels of immersion with the latest smartphones, monitors and sound devices.
Galaxy Z Fold3 5G
Odyssey G7
Galaxy Buds2
