With all of the news that has been made available over the past year regarding the pandemic and other struggles being faced, one big movement that has been largely overlooked throughout has been the progress of 5G and how it is becoming more readily available to a growing number of people. It will still take some time before there is a wider spread and wider availability, but it is certainly coming, and with newer internet options hitting headlines once again, could 5G open new opportunities in gaming for those who have had limited options until now?
The speed has been a big focus, offering both upload and download speeds of up to one-hundred times faster than current availability it is certainly something that looks good on paper and theoretically should be a huge benefit but may not always be able to provide those speeds – for those with home connections that are still very spotty and slow this could be a great benefit however as the 5G release is moving hand in hand with the SpaceX Starlink satellite internet option, but the real benefit comes from the increased capacity that is available through 5G. The wider band means more connections can be possible at the faster speed and enable better connections when there’s a lot of traffic around. For gamers, this will be particularly important for ensuring there’s the possibility that multiplayer gaming can grow.
(Image from cnet.com)
This faster connection may also provide opportunities for newer tech to emerge too – virtual and augmented reality have been in the public eye for quite some time and are likely to be the next big push in gaming, whilst hardware costs need to come down and other particulars need to be figured, it is seemingly the next big step. Similarly, there has been a huge push for esports and the streaming platforms that host them to grow, and with esports betting and related markets growing particularly in the mobile space, and the introduction of 5G will further continue to push this market as it provides further opportunities to both new and existing players.
Whilst this past year may have delayed the wider rollout as disruptions to the ability to install and upgrade existing towers will play a role, it has provided an opportunity for further development to be done as whilst the maximum speeds are only theoretical, it will take time to reach those speeds, and whilst the capacity is increased, architecture needs to be figured out to support it – this takes time, and the additional time will certainly help.
