The emerging 5G network is almost certain to help enhance the world of gaming. Its new era of speed, connectivity, and immersive play means gamers can expect evolutions in development and content.
Let’s look at 5G and how it will serve to improve the world of gaming in a likely short period of time.
Understanding 5G
We hear the term a lot. Often, “5G is coming,” or “5G has arrived,” is spun by telecommunications products such as phone carriers. It’s billed as the latest and greatest. There’s truth to that for sure.
To fully grasp how 5G technology can revolutionize gaming, it’s essential to understand what 5G is and examine it’s key features.
First, 5G is an evolution to 4G. This makes 5G the fifth-generation of wireless technology. 5G began its roll out in 2020. Although at the time, many carriers advertised smartphones with 5G, the technology wasn’t exactly widely available. In other words, you might have a 5G capable iPhone, however, without 5G towers in your area, you weren’t getting the connection.
But there’s more 5G towers now and more being constructed. Telecom operators are continually expanding coverage. But it isn’t without its challenges, particularly with infrastructure costs. And we’re talking trillions, folks.
One of the most touted features of 5G is its increase in speed (obviously). And this is a bigger deal that even we understand on the surface.
5G networks allow us to download and upload many times faster than 4G. A peak 5G speed might hit 10 gigabits per second, but that will differ depending on the tower, location, and the device. However, 5G certainly is much faster than its predecessor.
Moreover, 5G offers a lower latency. Don’t worry, we’ll explain.
Latency is the time it takes for data to travel from its source to its destination.
To help put some digestible comparative numbers, 4G had an average latency of 50 milliseconds. 5G rings in as low as 1 millisecond.
The Impact of 5G on Gaming
5G opens up a slew of new opportunities for both game developers and gamers.
The reduced latency means more of an instantaneous response to real-time data transmissions. This means more responsive characters and environments. Which also means an improve multiplayer experience. Obviously, you want all players to be in sync, otherwise, the experience drags.
Game developers can create more robust online experiences with 5G enhancements. And this benefit gets passed down to the gamers who desire more potent graphics, audio, and action.
5G also opens the door for the inclusion of artificial intelligence in game development. This should mean more dynamic games.
Massively multiplayer online games (MMOs) and cooperative (co-op) gaming can benefit from 5G’s reliable connectivity, supporting larger groups of players and more complex online interactions.
5G also means more social features in live streaming environments.
Security Concerns
With more connected devices, the potential for vulnerabilities vastly increases. Its just the nature of the connectivity.
The increased speed and lowered latency that the mobile gaming industry loves may likewise, benefit attackers. The increased bandwidth could be exploited for massive Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks. More connections certainly favor these attacks.
Location privacy also becomes a potential concern given more accurate tracking.
The emergence and evolution of any technology certainly experiences threats. This isn’t new. And we typically learn to deal with them.
Conclusion
5G is currently drastically overhauling the mobile gaming industry. But continued development hinges on widespread adoption by both infrastructure development and the devices which rely on the towers.
Moreover, 5G eats up bandwidth and data, which is becoming more and more of a concern in the world of broadband.
That said, mobile gaming is experiencing rapid growth in visual and audio experiences and that doesn’t look to slow down anytime soon. Look for major enhancements to the way games are played, streamed, and developed.