2020s in video games

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The 2020s is the

Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty, Tekken 8, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, Helldivers 2, Black Myth: Wukong, Astro Bot, Metaphor: ReFantazio, and Grand Theft Auto VI.[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]

Consoles of the 2020s

Eighth generation consoles (2012–present)

Main article: Eighth generation of video game consoles
Nintendo Switch

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. The Xbox One and Nintendo 3DS were both discontinued in 2020 with the Stadia also shutting down in 2023.[6][7][8]

Ninth generation consoles (2020–present)

Main article: Ninth generation of video game consoles

The ninth generation of video game consoles has begun in the 2020s, with the release of the

in-game streaming. Standalone virtual reality headsets have also emerged with new entries in the Meta Quest line, HTC Vive XR Elite, and Apple Vision Pro all being introduced in the decade.[11][12][13] The Nintendo Switch 2, a successor to the Switch, is scheduled for release in most territories on June 5th, 2025.[14][15]

History

At the beginning of decade many events were severely impacted by the coronavirus pandemic of 2020 through 2022.[16][17][18][19][20][21] One early example in 2020 was the cancellation of that year's edition of E3.[22] Summer Game Fest would emerge as a successor to E3, as the brand was retired in 2023.[23][24] Competitive gaming continued to gain mainstream appeal in the decade as the IOC announced the creation of the Olympic Esports Games and Saudi Arabia held the 2024 Esports World Cup.[25][26] There were setbacks however, as both the Overwatch League and MLG ceased operations.[27][28]

2020

Further information: 2020 in video games

The COVID-19 pandemic—which saw rapid spread in 2020—significantly impacted the video game industry.[29] Most video game development studios shifted to remote work in order to continue production through pandemic lockdowns.[30] Many games were delayed as a result of changed working conditions,[31] though delays increased in the years following The lockdowns also caused increased interest and participation in online gaming,[32] player spending on microtransactions, viewership of video game live streaming,[33][34] a general spike in video game sales,[35] and served as an introduction to video games as a whole for many.[36] The World Health Organization (WHO) recommended video games as both a distraction from the pandemic and a method to connect with friends and family while practicing social distancing,[37] and roughly half of those who play video games reported increased playtime during the pandemic and considered the activity a source of stress relief and distraction.[38] Games such as Animal Crossing: New Horizons were praised for offering an "escape" from the pandemic,[39] and the rises in popularity for games such as Among Us were credited to the pandemic shutdowns.[40]

Notable video games of the decade

Notable franchises established in the 2020s

Notes:

  • 1Game franchises that also accompany major film or television franchises.
  • 2Game franchises that are considered
    spin-offs
    of previously established franchises.

Highest-grossing games

Film

See also: 2020s in film and List of films based on video games

Films based on video games in the decade include:

Television

See also:
2020s in television and List of television series based on video games

Television series based on video games in the decade include:

Hardware timeline

The following gallery highlights hardware used to predominantly play games throughout the 2020s.

Notes

References

  1. ^ "4 trends that could shake up the gaming world in 2023". Digital Trends. January 1, 2023.
  2. ^ "The consoles of our lives. Nine generations of machines". freegametips.com.
  3. ^ Staff, Game Rant (October 26, 2021). "Best Games Of The Decade So Far (2020-)". Game Rant.
  4. ^ "Best of 2022: Elden Ring, and James' other GOTY picks". VG247. December 21, 2022.
  5. ^ Williams, Leah J. (January 9, 2023). "Naughty Dog aims to avoid crunch with later game announcements". GamesHub.
  6. ^ Warren, Tom (2020-07-16). "Microsoft discontinues Xbox One X and Xbox One S digital edition ahead of Series X launch". The Verge. Retrieved 2024-01-07.
  7. ^ "Nintendo 3DS discontinued after almost a decade". 2020-09-17. Retrieved 2024-01-16.
  8. ^ Cranz, Alex (2022-09-29). "Google is shutting down Stadia". The Verge. Retrieved 2024-01-07.
  9. ^ "What Is Ray Tracing? Here's What It Means For PS5 And Xbox Scarlett". GameSpot. Retrieved 2021-02-01.
  10. ^ Williams, Andrew (March 17, 2020). "What is frame rate? And how will it change for next-gen consoles?". gamesradar. Retrieved 2021-02-01.
  11. ^ Martindale, Jon. "Gear Up Your VR Game: The Best Meta Quest 3 Accessories". Forbes. Retrieved 2024-01-07.
  12. ^ Wickens, Katie (2023-04-12). "HTC Vive XR Elite". pcgamer. Retrieved 2024-01-07.
  13. ^ "Apple Ramps Up Vision Pro Production, Aiming for Launch by February". Bloomberg.com. 2023-12-20. Retrieved 2024-01-07.
  14. ^ "Nintendo Switch 2 Launches June 5 at $449.99, Bringing New Forms of Game Communication to Life". Archived from the original on 2025-04-10. Retrieved 2025-04-17.
  15. ^ Peters, Jay (2025-01-16). "Here's the Nintendo Switch 2". The Verge. Retrieved 2025-01-16.
  16. ^ Sprung, Shlomo. "Overwatch League Moves Matches To Live Online Format Because Of Coronavirus". Forbes. Retrieved 2024-04-30.
  17. ^ McWhertor, Michael (2020-09-23). "Geoff Keighley's The Game Awards returns Dec. 10". Polygon. Retrieved 2024-04-30.
  18. ^ "San Francisco's Game Developers Conference canceled over coronavirus fears". Los Angeles Times. 2020-02-29. Retrieved 2024-04-30.
  19. ^ Valentine, Rebekah (2022-03-31). "E3 2022 – Digital and Physical – Has Officially Been Canceled". IGN. Retrieved 2024-04-30.
  20. ^ Young, Rory (2020-04-16). "Gamescom 2020 Officially Canceled". Game Rant. Retrieved 2024-05-10.
  21. ^ "Pokémon World Championships 2020 Canceled". GameSpot. Retrieved 2024-05-10.
  22. ^ Liao, Shannon (2020-03-11). "E3, America's biggest video game conference, is canceled because of coronavirus | CNN Business". CNN. Retrieved 2024-04-30.
  23. ^ Farokhmanesh, Megan (2020-05-01). "Summer Game Fest, a new digital celebration, promises months of gaming news and events". The Verge. Retrieved 2024-04-30.
  24. ^ "Legendary E3 Gaming Convention Is Over. Here's What That Means for Gamers". CNET. Retrieved 2024-04-30.
  25. ^ "Olympics to Hold Its First Esports Games Starting in 2025, Amid Concerns". CNET. Retrieved 2025-02-05.
  26. ^ Church, Ben (2024-07-06). "A new esports tournament in Saudi Arabia promises to be a game-changer – but it's also caused division in the industry". CNN. Retrieved 2025-02-05.
  27. ^ Horwitz, Luke (2023-11-13). "Why Overwatch League Is Shutting Down". ScreenRant. Retrieved 2025-02-05.
  28. ^ Gwynn, Dafydd (2023-11-14). "Online tournament organiser GameBattles to shut down in 2024". Esports Insider. Retrieved 2025-02-05.
  29. ^ Gault, Matthew (2020-03-02). "The Coronavirus Is Wreaking Havoc on the Video Game Industry". Time. Archived from the original on March 14, 2020. Retrieved 2023-01-20.
  30. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived
    from the original on December 17, 2022. Retrieved 2023-01-20.
  31. ^ Kim, Matt (2021-06-04). "Why Game Delays Have Gotten Worse in 2021 — and It's Not Just Because of COVID". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on December 7, 2022. Retrieved 2023-01-20.
  32. ^ Romano, Nick (2020-03-19). "Game (still) on: How coronavirus is impacting the gaming industry". Entertainment Weekly. Dotdash Meredith. Archived from the original on April 8, 2020. Retrieved 2023-01-20.
  33. ^ Sherr, Ian (2020-03-20). "Lots of people are playing video games during coronavirus lockdowns". CNET. Archived from the original on January 2, 2023. Retrieved 2023-01-20.
  34. GamesIndustry.biz. Gamer Network. Archived
    from the original on December 25, 2022. Retrieved 2023-01-20.
  35. GamesIndustry.biz. Gamer Network. Archived
    from the original on August 2, 2022. Retrieved 2023-01-20.
  36. ^ Winkie, Luke (2020-05-24). "Quarantine is creating brand-new gamers". Polygon. Archived from the original on December 5, 2022. Retrieved 2023-01-20.
  37. ^ Snider, Mike (2020-03-28). "Video games can be a healthy social pastime during coronavirus pandemic". USA Today. Archived from the original on April 8, 2020. Retrieved 2023-01-20.
  38. ^ Snider, Mike (2021-07-13). "Two-thirds of Americans, 227 million, play video games. For many games were an escape, stress relief in pandemic". USA Today. Archived from the original on December 2, 2022. Retrieved 2023-01-20.
  39. ^ Supported by multiple sources:
  40. ^ Supported by multiple sources:
  41. ^ Grobar, Matt (August 9, 2022). "Paramount Sets 'Sonic The Hedgehog 3' Release, Pushes Date For Smurfs Animated Musical". Deadline. Retrieved August 9, 2022.
  42. ^ Jennings, Collier (July 23, 2020). "Tetris Movie Casts Taron Egerton as Its Lead". Comic Book Resources.
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