7 Exciting Mobile Game Technological Advancements to Keep an Eye on in the 20s

With 2019 out the way and CES 2020 recently showing off some of the high end gadgets and tech we may or may not get our hands on in the future, there’s certainly going to be some big steps in …

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With 2019 out the way and CES 2020 recently showing off some of the high end gadgets and tech we may or may not get our hands on in the future, there’s certainly going to be some big steps in the tech industry over the next decade.

But over here we love our portable tech, which doesn’t often receive the same level of attention or love as dedicated console systems or PCs, so we thought we’d highlight a few portable technological leaps to keep an eye on during the 20s.

Switch Pro

Switch Pro has been rumoured for quite some time now and many believed it was going to be unveiled around the same time as the Switch Lite. Instead, we got a slight revision to the regular Switch that was pretty much limited to a battery life boost.

Nintendo has recently ruled out new Switch hardware this year, but we’d expect the Switch Pro to still make an appearance at some point – likely in 2020. While we don’t think it will be the 4K machine many of you seem to want, we would expect the larger device to house a proper 1080p HD screen for portable play, a higher capacity battery, and a faster CPU to boost load times.

We’d also like to see Nintendo extend the premium options to an aluminium chassis, giving it that Apple level of polish. We can dream, right?

Alienware UFO

For us, one of the most exciting reveals at CES 2020 way the Alienware UFO. Yes, it’s a complete Switch rip-off but we can’t deny being attracted to the idea of having our entire PC library available on the go in that form factor.

Imagine having your already humongous Steam library, Xbox Game Pass, and more available anywhere you are? Yes, laptops offer that now, but imagine not having to carry that extra weight in your bag?

Right now, it’s just a concept but we can’t wait to see Dell bring it to market. It likely won’t be cheap, and we have no idea what sort of specifications it houses, but we’re watching with bated breath.

Analogue Pocket

Analogue is known for remaking consoles of the past for today. With successful NES, SNES, and Mega Drive hardware revisions so far, Analogue is the gold standard in its particular line of work, and next it’s moving into the handheld space with the Analogue Pocket.

At $199 it’s not cheap but when you consider that the device supports physical cartridges, can run games across the entire Game Boy library, and features a stunning 1600×1400 back-lit display, it starts to resemble a no-brainer.

Analogue will also sell separate adapters for a range of other vintage handhelds and a slew of other features that will make this a retro gamer’s dream.

Gaming Phones

Mobile games are massive. Phones and tablets are becoming so much more powerful and efficient, and bigger and better games are being released every year. As a result, companies like Razer and ASUS have started releasing phones designed with gaming in mind, complete with peripherals that take away a few of the platform’s drawbacks, like touch controls and battery life. So we are excited to see what the next decade brings in the mobile space and what’s next in terms of gaming phones.

Ultrabook Gaming Laptops

Up to this point, you’ve had to make a choice when purchasing a laptop: power or portability. Powerful gaming laptops have traditionally been heavy, bulky, and noisy, with huge power supplies making them barely backpack friendly.

If you wanted portability, had to suffer dedicated graphics and running games on the lowest settings. That’s slowly changing though, with Razor starting to make headway with its most expensive Razor Stealth providing adequate gaming performance in a very slim form factor. Watch this space – it’s about to get a lot better this decade.

Streaming Services 

With the recent launch of Google Stadia, Microsoft working on xCloud, and GeForce NOW leaving beta, streaming looks finally poised to provide an alternative to owning an expensive, dedicated gaming platform.

Sluggish internet speeds still play a huge role in holding back the viability of streaming, but now that giants like Google, Microsoft, and GeForce have their fingers in the pie, hopefully internet providers will follow suit and improve their offerings.

Playdate

The Playdate is a new console by a company called Panic. It has an interesting form factor with a crank on the side to control certain aspects of its games.

It also automatically downloads new games in season passes that include 12 games. An interesting idea and something to look out for if you want something a little different.