Over the past couple of years, we are increasingly hearing about 5G: the fifth generation of networks comes to new countries, to new continents, is used in new and new areas, is gradually becoming an important attribute of any advanced metropolis. We will probably leave the issues of irradiation, chipping and zombification with 5G towers to competent and knowledgeable specialists, while we ourselves will talk about the real benefits that the new generation of networks will bring to the whole world. However, we can say what it already brings: for example, there are known examples of remote operations and control of high-precision medical equipment using 5G networks – in real time, with minimal delay. To demonstrate the capabilities of 5G, Tele2 launched an interesting case several years ago: a Hermitage restorer remotely controlled a robotic arm that instantly responded to commands. And this is just the beginning – and how much more will the new generation of networks help change: manned and unmanned vehicles, autonomous cities, industrial automation, entertainment – from ordinary games in the cloud to full-fledged VR masterpieces running on any equipment thanks to 5G networks. Already, a new generation of networks is changing the lives of gamers around the world – let’s figure out how.
IT specialists have long deduced a pattern – the average speed of the Internet in the world doubles every five years.
“The number of global 5G connections is expected to surpass 1 billion in 2023, which is 2 years faster than the speed at which 4G can get the same number of connections. According to industry experts, it is expected that in 2025 the number of 5G connections worldwide will approach 3 billion “- comments on the situation with the distribution of the 5th generation network Maxim Dyachin, OPPO Product Manager -” Thanks to 5G, information becomes more accessible and personalized, and life in the city is even more convenient and brighter. To take full advantage of the network functions, you need a 5G device. But getting this is not a problem. Many smartphones and other devices with 5G support are already supplied to the Russian market. For example, Reno4 Pro ”.
Under the conditions of testing and testing, the speed of 5G Internet can exceed the previous generation by 60,000 (!) Times or more. High internet speed and low latency will not only lead to the growth of the gaming market, but will also change the way we play and what equipment we need for this. Cloud gaming will be of increasing importance: this is the name of the way of launching games when the application is processed not by the power of your computer, but remotely, on a special high-performance server – and a regular video stream comes to your, even the oldest and technically weakest device. The control is the same: you press, for example, a jump – the signal goes to the server, is processed and returns to you in video format – the character on the screen jumps. That is, the user is not at all tied to the capabilities of his equipment: neither a powerful processor nor a powerful video card is needed – everything happens via the Internet. In recent years, many companies have appreciated this format of gaming and have begun to invest in their own services: this is also a pioneer G-cluster at the exhibition E3 in 2015, and subsequent products from industry giants (Google Stadia, NVidia GeForce Now, Microsoft xCloud, Amazon Luna). There are similar services in Russia: they are launched as telecom companies (MTS, Tele 2) and independent players (Loudplay, Playkey). Such changes in the games market are inevitably pushing the entire industry towards faster internet and lower latency – and 5G internet will take these changes to the next level.
Another change that the gaming industry should expect with the rise of cloud gaming is the increased level of mobility. If earlier, in order to play a new game, you needed a powerful stationary PC that occupies an honorable corner in the room, then soon it will be possible to do this from any device – no matter where you are, you only need a good Internet connection. This will inevitably lead to the development of eSports: many talented players in eSports disciplines simply cannot reach their potential due to financial constraints that prevent them from purchasing powerful hardware for games. With the development of 5G and cloud gaming, the problem will come to naught – it will become easier and cheaper to play, which means that new talents, new tournaments will appear, and the eSports market will develop even more dynamically. The first examples already exist – in 2019, Megafon and the cloud gaming service Loudplay held a Dota 2 esports tournament on 5G networks – and there is reason to believe that such events will continue to grow.
But even in such a promising and technological area as the development of 5G networks and cloud gaming, there is a fly in the ointment. The first is the often inadequate level of technical expertise of users (otherwise known as the “last mile problem”). This means that even the fastest internet with the lowest latency may perform worse in a particular apartment, depending on the specific circumstances. Users tend to blame cloud services for FPS drawdown, freezes and lags, but they rarely think about the long distance to the router, thick walls in the apartment, and so on. Thus, the declared and actual speed of the Internet still remain different values - and for a beginner who sees a low-quality image or delays in control, this is enough to put an end to the prospect of gaming in the cloud.
There is also a conflict of interests between publishers, players and cloud services: publishers sell games, and players pay for subscription time without buying games separately. Thus, if a person tries a game in Google Stadia and does not like it, he will stop playing it, and the publisher will receive less profit – according to statistics, only a quarter of users complete the game. That is, selling you a game, the publisher receives a conditional 1,000 rubles, and by leasing it to you through the cloud service, he will receive 200-300 rubles – it is obvious that such a model is not profitable for publishers.
However, all these are minor, almost evolutionary issues that will be resolved with the development of the industry. We can already say that cloud gaming is the future, and 5G networks will play an important role in this future. And how exactly this will happen and what gaming will look like in 5-10 years – we will find out very soon!
Read also: After Death Stranding, Hideo Kojima worked on an episodic horror movie for Google Stadia…
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