If you have been a hardcore gamer for a while but haven’t kept up with the latest news, you are in for a shock. The future of gaming is the Mac and iOS. Before you compose the angry tweets, check out the latest WWDC keynote. There are machines coming this year that will handle anything you throw at them. And the anticipated Mac Pro coming no sooner than 2018 will handle even more.
What makes these interesting gaming plays is that Apple is putting in the development infrastructure that makes high-end gaming possible. They are well on their way to catching up to PC gaming, at least, in principle.
But Apple is about more than catching up. They are looking to leapfrog the industry in their VR/AR push. With their AR initiative in particular, Apple stands to become the largest AR platform overnight. That is because with what they showed off on stage, millions of devices are already in the market that are able to handle it. No special equipment is required. A recent iPhone or iPad is already set for some pretty mind-blowing AR. Just check out these examples of early development.
But that’s the future, the near future perhaps, but still the future. The next chapter of gaming may be developed on new Macs. But the present of high-end gaming is being played on PCs and consoles. If you want to get in the game right now, this is what you will need:
Blazing Internet Speed
These days, there are hardly any games worth playing that do not require an internet connection. That’s table stakes. But for high-speed, twitch gaming online, you need more than a connection. You need a blazing fast connection. Without it, you have already lost before you ever get to fire your weapon.
Everything you do on the gaming field has to be fast. It doesn’t matter how fast you are, or how fast your equipment is if it is slowed down by your internet connection. What you need to do is figure out the fastest wifi internet plans before putting together your ultimate gaming rig. Did you want to sip your internet from a tame fountain, or guzzle it from an open fire hydrant? Once you get that sorted, you are ready for the next step.
A Complete VR Setup
AR is just around the corner. But VR is here today. It’s not just in your face; it’s on your face. And right now, there are really only two choices for the early adopter. Sorry Playstation. Those who are serious about VR have a headset from either Facebook or HTC. You will be rocking the Oculus Rift, or the HTC Vive. Just kidding. Real gamers will have both.
What you will also have is a lot of space and long cables. You are going to need to be able to move around in your VR space. And your VR space has to fit into your real space. A dedicated VR room helps.
Just remember that VR is a graphics intensive affair. You might also keep in mind that prices have skyrocketed on the AMD RX series of graphics cards. Hey, no one said achieving gaming nirvana would be cheap.
Lots of Friends
Gaming is no longer an individual pursuit. Next-gen gaming is becoming a more social affair. Games like Star Trek Bridge Crew are opening new multiplayer possibilities. Future gaming will not be a device that pushes us away from people in the real world. It will bring people together in the real world, and in the virtual one as well.
Gaming is about fun. And you can have more fun in gaming future with a fast internet connection, a VR-ready environment, and as always, lots of friends with whom to share it all.
