2020s in video games
The 2020s is the sixth decade in the industry's history. The industry remains heavily dominated by the actions of Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft, but it remains unforeseen how their dominance will be affected by cloud gaming and smartphone and tablet market. Virtual reality headsets are expected to become more popular over the course of the decade.[1] The industry was heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The ninth generation of video game consoles went on sale, beginning with the Xbox Series X and Series S and the PlayStation 5.[2] Notable games released in the 2020s included The Last of Us Part II, Genshin Impact, Elden Ring and God of War Ragnarök.[3][4] Game development companies have come under increasing criticism for "crunch" practices, forcing workers to work long hours in the build-up to release.[5]
2010s . 2020s in video games . 2030s |
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Consoles of the 2020s
Eighth generation consoles (2012–present)
The eighth generation of video game consoles, including the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, remain in widespread use. Cloud gaming services like Google Stadia and Amazon Luna are also part of the eighth generation.
Ninth generation consoles (2020–present)
The ninth generation of video game consoles has begun in the 2020s, with the release of the Xbox Series X and Series S and PlayStation 5 in 2020. The ninth generation offers faster computation and graphics processors, support for real-time ray tracing graphics,[6] output for 4K resolution, and in some cases, 8K resolution, with rendering speeds targeting 60 frames per second (fps) or higher.[7] Internally, both console families introduced new internal solid-state drive (SSD) systems to be used as high-throughput memory and storage systems for games to reduce or eliminate loading times and support in-game streaming.
History
Notable video games of the decade
Notable franchises established in the 2020s
- Cyberpunk 2077 (2020)
- Deathloop (2021)
- Elden Ring (2022)
- Fall Guys (2020)
- Genshin Impact (2020)
- Ghost of Tsushima (2020)
- Hades (2020)
- It Takes Two (2021)
- Kena: Bridge of Spirits (2021)
- Returnal (2021)
- Stray (2022)
- Valorant (2020)
Notes:
- 1Game franchises that also accompany major film or television franchises.
- 2Game franchises that are considered spin-offs of previously established franchises.
In popular culture
Film
Films based on video games in the decade include:
- A trilogy of films (2020, 2022, 2024) based on Sonic the Hedgehog.[8]
- Pokémon the Movie: Secrets of the Jungle (2020), based on the Pokémon franchise.
- Monster Hunter (2020), based on the Monster Hunter franchise.
- Mortal Kombat (2021), based on the Mortal Kombat franchise.
- Werewolves Within (2021), based on Werewolves Within, a 2016 multiplayer social-deduction VR game.
- Deemo: Memorial Keys (2021), based on the rhythm game Deemo.
- Dynasty Warriors (2021), based on the Dynasty Warriors franchise.
- Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City (2021), based on the Resident Evil franchise.
- Uncharted (2022), based on the Uncharted franchise.
- Gran Turismo (2023), based on the Gran Turismo franchise.
- The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023), animated film based on the Super Mario franchise.
- Tetris (2023), a biopic will explore the rights battle that surrounded Tetris.[9]
- Five Nights at Freddy's (2023), a supernatural horror film based on the Five Nights at Freddy's franchise.
Television
Television series based on video games in the decade include:
- Arcane (2021), animated series based on League of Legends.
- Cyberpunk: Edgerunners (2022), animated series based on Cyberpunk 2077.
- The Cuphead Show! (2022-present), animated series based on Cuphead.
- Tekken: Bloodline (2022), animated series based on the Tekken series.
- Sonic Prime (2022), animated series.
- The Last of Us (2023-present), live-action series based on The Last of Us.
Hardware timeline
The following gallery highlights hardware used to predominantly play games throughout the 2020s.
- Nintendo Switch (2017)
- Nintendo Switch Lite (2019)
- Quest 2 (2020)
- Xbox Series S (2020)
- Xbox Series X (2020)
- PlayStation 5 (2020)
- Steam Deck (2022)
- PICO 4 (2022)
- Asus ROG Ally (2023)
Notes
References
- "4 trends that could shake up the gaming world in 2023". Digital Trends. January 1, 2023.
- "The consoles of our lives. Nine generations of machines". freegametips.com.
- Staff, Game Rant (October 26, 2021). "Best Games Of The Decade So Far (2020-)". Game Rant.
- "Best of 2022: Elden Ring, and James' other GOTY picks". VG247. December 21, 2022.
- Williams, Leah J. (January 9, 2023). "Naughty Dog aims to avoid crunch with later game announcements". GamesHub.
- "What Is Ray Tracing? Here's What It Means For PS5 And Xbox Scarlett - GameSpot". www.gamespot.com. Retrieved 2021-02-01.
- Andrew Williams 17 March 2020 (March 17, 2020). "What is frame rate? And how will it change for next-gen consoles?". gamesradar. Retrieved 2021-02-01.
- Grobar, Matt (August 9, 2022). "Paramount Sets 'Sonic The Hedgehog 3' Release, Pushes Date For Smurfs Animated Musical". Deadline. Retrieved August 9, 2022.
- Jennings, Collier (July 23, 2020). "Tetris Movie Casts Taron Egerton as Its Lead". Comic Book Resources.