When 5G internet was first mentioned, its impact of the e-sport world may not have been the first thing that came to mind. But the exponential growth of the e-sport industry coupled with its needs make it one of those that stand to benefit the most once 5G is fully mainstream.
5G effects across the e-sport board. From developers to players and fans, everyone will feel this impact. Let us look at how each of these segments will evolve with 5G.
5G Impact on Game Development
When developing games, e-sports developers have to put in mind how the final product will look- and worker. They are guided by the end-user experience. For long periods, they have had to avoid some creative elements that would make the games ‘heavy.’ This was done in consideration of the internet strength available to players and issues like storage space.
With 5G, however, this is not a major concern. Connections have a much bigger bandwidth and lower latency. 5G also accommodates cloud storage better because of the improved speeds. These capabilities give developers a much freer hand to put their creativity into the games. They can now create games that are better both in terms of function and aesthetics.
5G Impact on e-Sport Gaming
The impact on gamers will be the most visible of all segments. Gamers make up the most vocal part of the e-sport world. They are the ones who comment on forums. It is them who curse when games lag. They can literally bring a game down if it fails to tick certain boxes. But they will definitely love 5G.
The lower latency means that games will load easier and faster, not to mention better graphics and capabilities of players. Awesome, right? This works like a team playing a game of football at their home ground. Initially, some players had an undue advantage over others. With servers located in a central place, players who were closer to the servers geographically tended to have an upper hand in terms of speed. Now, with the emergence of cloud storage, every team or player will have a ‘home stadium.’ And all the advantages that come with that.
Players will also feel the impact in terms of the devices they require to play. As more and more storage becomes remote, the need for devices with massive storage space goes down. This translates to a major slash in the investment required to get into e-sports. The result? More and more players will be able to join e-sports.
In addition to all that, mobile gaming becomes an even more pronounced reality. VR gaming also moves several rungs higher. This means that an industry which is already growing at an outrageous rate in difficult times is not even started! Good 5G times for e-sport gamers all over the world!
What About the Fans?
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E-sports fans have almost as much gains to expect from 5G as the players. Just like traditional sports fans have had a whole new experience with HD and Ultra HD, e-sports fans are in for a thrill. More fans will be able to stream competitions; a projected growth in viewership. They will also be treated to better entertainment given the new capabilities given to players. Streaming games on-the-go (remember increased mobile use) means fans never have to miss a single competition!
