The Power of Small Wins: What Gaming Tech and Sustainability Have in Common
There are approximately 3 billion people around the world that are hooked on playing video games. As this number continues to increase, it is to be expected that the gaming industry is on its way to evolve rapidly not only as to its revenue but also as to its capability to cater to every gamer’s demands through new technologies.
With this growth and expansion, environmental concerns abound, especially the electronic waste (e-waste) generated by outdated consoles, computer components, and other gaming paraphernalia. Considering that the industry has always been eager to provide the latest models of consoles or gaming equipment, it has become increasingly vital to implement sustainable practices in the production and disposal processes of gaming hardware and other variations of e-waste.
Below, let us get to know e-waste and how sustainability is practiced in the gaming industry and how gaming technologies help reduce electronic waste.
E-Waste and Sustainability in Gaming
With the growing importance of sustainability in various industries, the gaming industry has also been doing their contributions to reduce their environmental impact. However, in order to efficiently make proper contributions in highlighting sustainability within the industry, it is important that everyone in the industry understand certain terms like e-waste and sustainability.
In brief, e-waste or electronic waste, is any discarded item with wire, plugs, or other electronic components that may contain toxic additives or hazardous substances. Within the gaming industry, electronic waste includes discarded computer peripherals, gaming console parts, various cords and charging equipment, and excessive energy consumption.
As more and more gamers enter the industry, this problem has been concerning especially with the global aim of reducing e-waste at a significant rate by 2030. Accordingly, this has been a challenging step that the industry has to hurdle considering that it is not only trying to solve the hardware e-waste but is also aiming to reduce energy consumption.
According to a report, energy consumption has become more concerning as it is a big contributor to carbon emissions. Now that most gaming operators are migrating to digital platforms, the demand for energy-efficient technologies is more crucial than ever, especially now that the casino gaming industry has migrated to the digital space, a lucrative sector in the industry. Gamers expect their favorite online pokies real money with no deposit required and other casino games, to be accessible anytime, anywhere, without compromising on quality or performance. As such, many gaming operators are trying to seek balance as to how they can provide quality gaming, excellent bonuses and enticing gaming features while also reducing carbon footprint.
Fortunately, the gaming industry is doing their best and actively working to address these e-waste concerns. In fact, several gaming manufacturers and event operators have pledged to minimize their environmental impact. For online casinos, many of them have hosted gaming tournaments and the proceeds from it will be contributed to the environmental sustainability fund.
How Does Technology Contribute to Sustainability In the Gaming Industry?
With the growing push towards sustainable gaming, operators and stakeholders within the industry are finding the means and ways to cut back on e-waste and excessive energy consumption.
- Energy-Efficient Gaming Hardware and Solutions
Proper authorities within the gaming industry have been pushing for every gaming company and operator to adopt green and sustainable practices.
As such, one of the main agenda of some of the video gaming companies is to transform their consoles and other gaming paraphernalia into energy-efficient ones. By utilizing energy-efficient technologies, gaming companies help in reducing waste generated in creating hardware and other related solutions.
A great example would be the efforts of the developers at Epic Games where they made a number of changes to the game Fortnite. What they did was to reduce the resolution and frame rate of the game’s waiting lobby especially when a certain gamer had been inactive for a significant amount of time.
Another example would be Microsoft’s efforts in introducing energy saving features to Xbox reducing electricity consumed by the console by 95% especially when it is not in use.
- Push Towards Mobile Gaming
Aside from highlighting energy-efficient hardware and solutions, the push towards mobile gaming has also been considered as a collective effort among game developers and operators.
According to a study, mobile gaming consumes less energy as compared to desktops and gaming console-driven games. As such, many gaming operators especially those in the online casino gaming sector have created mobile platforms where they get to offer their casino games.
By optimizing games for mobile devices and encouraging mobile gaming, operators effectively contribute in significantly reducing overall energy footprint within their target audiences.
Final Thoughts
While the battle towards achieving a sustainable gaming industry is still a long way to go, it is remarkable that every operator and stakeholders are doing their best to contribute towards a common goal.
With the combined efforts, it can be seen that even technology can help in contributing sustainability towards the industry. As the industry continues to evolve, it is clear that embracing sustainability will not only be beneficial for the planet but it will also resonate with the gaming audience who are also eager for ecologically responsible gaming solutions.
