Cooper Dubois Portland CEO of Truly Social Games suggests that the idea that mobile game users, as players, are only looking for casual games is incorrect. This concept is somewhat outdated. As games get more sophisticated, the user becomes more demanding and will ultimately search for increasingly immersive gaming experiences. This fact exemplifies why mobile represents an opportunity that cannot be ignored for virtual and augmented reality technologies.
Mobile Beats PC And Console
The marriage between VR / AR and mobile gaming apps is at the center of several current debates. According to Cooper DuBois Portland CEO, the exciting fact that emerges from these debates is that 69% of PC gamers dedicate themselves to mobile games at least once a week. But not only that: since 2016, mobile has represented the most significant slice of the market in the gaming sector. And it will continue to grow faster than PCs and consoles, driven by an increase in average speed and the fact that more and more consumers will have access to smartphones every day.
How will VR / AR technologies make the most of this fast-growing sector is the real question, according to Cooper DuBois Portland CEO. When considering virtual and augmented reality, the latter seems to be the most suitable for mainstream mobile users. Research conducted on the online population of the United States in November 2018 confirms this fact. Among the respondents who have played AR games more than once, 53% have done so on mobile devices, while only 28% of those played VR games on mobile.
According to many reports, Apple and Google are doubling their respective AR platforms, which suggests an imminent golden age for this technology also on mobile. AR-enabled games or apps are currently distributed in the same way as traditional apps, via Google Play or the App Store. Cooper Dubois Portland CEO suggests that augmented reality will likely be as important as smartphones and, ultimately, an essential element of everyday life, at least for consumers.
Research has bluntly proven that Google beats Apple (momentarily) in terms of the number of AR features developed for apps. Google Playground, Google Lens, and Google Translate already use them, while on Google Maps, the arrival of augmented reality is imminent. For its part, Apple can count on a game like SwiftShot, in which the user uses a slingshot to destroy virtual constructions.
The combination between AR and gaming is potent. Cooper DuBois Portland CEO states that according to research data, gaming remains the workhorse of augmented reality.
For example, 79% of Americans who have tried AR in the last six months have used it to play video games. Among gamers, 81% of respondents have used AR more than once. Not surprisingly, 67% of those who enjoy AR more than once a month have played Pokemon Go. This title’s success remains unsurpassed: over two years after its release, we are still waiting for the next significant reality phenomenon.
In conclusion, gaming has historically been the bridgehead of new technologies: the first smartphone apps were games, just like the first VR and AR apps. Mobile gaming, in particular, has made augmented reality known to the whole world. But, outside of this sector, the future of AR in gaming apps looks even more promising. Not only that: augmented reality could enter everyday life, allowing us to translate texts in foreign countries on the fly, sending us instant calendar notifications, or providing real-time updates during live events. According to Cooper DuBois Portland CEO, moving towards the future awaiting us is always an exciting adventure.