For players and particularly for coders, writers, designers, and developers, gaming is serious business. Today’s gamers increasingly expect sophisticated, immersive experiences, making a developer’s hardware and software requirement quite robust. Some of the latest advances that are revolutionizing the gaming industry include face and voice recognition, gesture control, virtual reality with photorealistic graphics, and the ability to participate in real-time, multiplayer games regardless of device or location.

It can be tough to compete in this landscape without a significant technology investment. Let’s take a look at some of the latest technology that’s trending in the gaming industry.

Software

The two leading game development platforms are Unity and Unreal, amongst a sea of others that are designed to suit a variety of needs. According to most reviewers, Unity is reasonably priced, easy to understand, and ideal for small to mid-sized 2D and 3D projects as it is intuitive for less experienced developers or anyone who wants to quickly and efficiently create a prototype.

For more advanced 3D projects, reviewers praise Unreal for its superior graphics and dynamic, full-featured toolset. While it stands out in the areas of audience engagement, retention, and monetization, one drawback is that it is very heavy and must be run on a powerful computer.

There is a wide array of programs on the market that are designed for different aspects of game development. For instance, Autodesk’s Maya and 3ds Max, Blender, and ZBrush are commonly used for art, while coders need a tool like Visual Studio, and audio teams require Pro Tools or something similar. Designers will likely need access to programs like Microsoft Visual Studio or Adobe PhotoShop as well for the creation of wireframes. Project management software options such as Basecamp, Wrike, and Hansoft are also valuable tools in helping studios streamline the game development process and achieve faster time to market.

With so many different software options for such a vast range of development purposes, it is recommended that you fully research the best programs to suit your unique needs and project size.

Hardware

Gaming laptops have come a long way and are now capable of delivering surprisingly high resolutions and frame rates. Some of the most powerful and high-performance laptops available today range in price from about $650 to over $3,000 and run the gamut in size as well, from super thin and light to quite large and much less portable. You’ll also have an assortment of features to choose from, since some laptops are equipped with incredibly powerful processors or superior graphics, and others excel in the areas of sound or design or any combination of these characteristics.

Studios along with individual developers will find that they cannot always get by with laptops when it comes to larger projects. Instead, they’ll require advanced desktop systems with powerful processors and generous storage and memory. For those with short-term needs, these systems can be rented on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis with different hardware configurations to test drive your software. Renting is ideal for developers who are looking to test performance standards and ensure that their games run efficiently on multiple devices and platforms. A provider such as SmartSource Rentals offers a variety of different hardware or software scenarios including server rentals and high-performance workstations.

Display Technology

When you’re finally ready to launch your game, you’ll want to make the right impression. A high-definition video wall will allow you to show off every aspect of your game in an immersive, visually appealing way. You can introduce your game in ultra-high definition with crisp, clear images and rich, life-like color. QLED, LED, LCD, 1080p, 4K, and touch-screen displays and video walls can be customized for maximum impact based on your space and preferences.

If you’re planning on featuring your product at a gaming conference or tournament, stay tuned for an upcoming article on how to choose the right technology for this type of event.

For more information on our rental solutions for your next gaming event or project, contact a gaming specialist at 844-888-8686 or request a quote today!