5G is coming. It is the next generation of wireless technology which will improve the current capabilities of devices and systems while delimiting upcoming ones, solving problems which will allow the implementation of artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and other important technological development.
It promises trillions of revenue for national economies due to the wide range of industries who will benefit from it: construction, manufacturing, healthcare, among others. 5G’s impact on entertainment will be prominent.
5G and Gaming: Gaming is a huge market. Console and PC gaming are what the discourse centres itself around, and they will see the perks of 5G. However, mobile gaming – which holds over 50% of the market – will be where an emphasis is placed. 5G’s impact on this industry will be felt in downloading data and the gameplay itself. The faster download speeds will mean large files take far less time than they currently do and the lower latency will lessen the input delay felt by gamers. Cloud gaming – which is where games are rendered and processed on remote servers, with the content streamed to the device – will be improved greatly too by both of these improvements.
Competitive Esports Infrastructure: Esports are a ballooning industry in the entertainment and competitive sports landscapes. There are many top-tier gaming titles whose studios and representatives organise annual schedules to compete in yearly seasons and broadcast events on notable streaming platforms, attracting millions of viewers and major sponsors. The player pool is international, with players from a variety of countries representing teams in other countries. However, there are certain games, particularly those which are predominantly played on mobile, which succeed more in India and Brazil, where smartphones are the more affordable way to game and where 5G will have obvious benefits for.
Sponsorships and Equipment: Currently, major esports organisations are sponsored by communications companies which supply them with 5G technology: Faze and Verizon have partnerships, as does 100Thieves and AT&T. A training room for the 100Thieves Valorant team is being set up by AT&T, using the latest 5G tech to enable team members to play with each other and other teams under the best possible conditions, to replicate the feeling of playing on LAN.
LAN: Most competitive events happen on LAN. This is where teams come to a venue and play on a network to which every single player is connected, meaning that there is no latency or download speed issues. 5G with its aforementioned lower latency and faster download speeds will likely make remote, online tournaments far more viable. There are benefits to having in-person events, namely that fans can be there in person to create the distinct emotional atmosphere that comes with sporting events, while, at the same time, being able to craft a broadcast which includes the hundreds of thousands streaming.