2020s in video games

The 2020s is the sixth decade in the industry's history. The industry remains heavily dominated by the actions of Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft, but it remains unforeseen how their dominance will be affected by cloud gaming and the smartphone and tablet market. Virtual reality headsets are expected to become more popular over the course of the decade. The industry was heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The ninth generation of video game consoles went on sale, beginning with the Xbox Series X and Series S and the PlayStation 5. Notable games released in the 2020s included Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Doom Eternal, Final Fantasy VII Remake, The Last of Us Part II, Ghost of Tsushima, Fall Guys, Hades, Genshin Impact, Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Cyberpunk 2077, It Takes Two, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, Resident Evil Village, Metroid Dread, Valorant, Forza Horizon 5, Horizon Forbidden West, Elden Ring, Kirby and the Forgotten Land, Stray, Xenoblade Chronicles 3, Cult of the Lamb, God of War Ragnarök, Sonic Frontiers, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, Hi-Fi Rush, Resident Evil 4 (2023), The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Mortal Kombat 1, Street Fighter 6, Baldur's Gate 3, Starfield, Super Mario Bros. Wonder, Marvel's Spider-Man 2, Alan Wake 2, Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty, Tekken 8, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, Helldivers 2, Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, Black Myth: Wukong, Astro Bot, Metaphor: ReFantazio, Marvel Rivals, Balatro, The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, Split Fiction, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, Ghost of Yōtei, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, Pokémon Legends: Z-A, Mario Kart World and Grand Theft Auto VI. Game development companies have come under increasing criticism for "crunch" practices, forcing workers to work long hours in the build-up to release.