Technology often proceeds at a dizzying pace, with something regarded as state-of-the-art today being obsolete tomorrow. Such is the case with 4G, which is slowly being replaced with 5G.
5G is the latest generation of wireless networking that promises to deliver extra-low latency and unbelievable network speeds. This combo promises to shake up the future of mobile gaming as we know it and would be godsent to mobile gamers in need of the most otherworldly gaming experiences.
So, what is the place of 5G in the future of mobile gaming and how will gaming apps be made available to mobile gamers in the next ten years or so? This article will answer these and other questions as well.
It’s a Brave New World – of 5G No Less!
The coming of 5G seems certain to alter the mobile gaming world in ways both small and mighty. 5G enables download and upload speeds so fast that it appears nearly magical, with this making it possible for mobile players to download the biggest mobile games in a couple of seconds, rather than half a minute or more. This will no doubt make mobile games more accessible and get players playing for longer.
Very fast speeds are not the only thing that 5G brings to the table on its way to shaking up the future of mobile gaming. It also supports much lower latency, which means that requests and queries from and to a server take considerably less time than was previously the case.
On the current 4G, real-time online multiplayer on mobile is a hard thing to pull off, especially on a competitive scale. This results in lots of frustration as player gameplay inputs are ignored and gameplay lags.
5G makes for a perfect online multiplayer experience and is capable of hosting the most massive online multiplayer experiences that are simply not possible at the present moment.
As an example, battle royale games like PUBG have a maximum of 100 players per session. 5G could see this limit being greatly expanded, with 1,000 players or more simultaneously competing on the same map. Should this capability be combined with esports, mobile gaming can easily reach previously impossible stratospheric heights.
The coming of 5G will also make for a change in monetisation, which will affect the future of mobile gaming. The usual playable ads and video content will have to change in line with the new experiences that 5G offers, and must be tweaked to deliver even more immersive and engaging experiences. This will result in video ads being played at an incredible 60 frames per second for the most eye-catching effect.
New playable ads unlike anything we have ever seen will also be possible. As of now, the playable ads on offer have laughable graphics and are in 2D format. The coming of 5G, however, promises to make 3D playable ads the norm, as well as physics engines that treat the eyeballs to the sweetest eye-candy known to man!
Next, the coming of 5G will bring the future of mobile gaming closer by making it possible for AR and VR to fully mature. These two exotic technologies tend to be rather resource-intensive, with 5G being the perfect solution by making downloads as fast and smooth as possible while enabling the creation and release the most immersive experiences by VR and AR developers.
Game Streaming Comes of Age!
The coming of 5G coincides with a rise in the number of game streaming platforms. These platforms make it possible for anyone to have all sorts of games streamed to their device for a monthly consideration.
Game streaming services could soon experience a massive boom since 5G will make it possible for mobile gamers to access console-quality games on whatever mobile device they have. Yes, it could be possible for players all over the world play high-end games that rival those on PC and console on even low-end smartphones.
There are already console ports of some popular games that are working perfectly on mobile. Examples of these include the likes of Fortnite and PUBG. With game streaming on 5G soon to come into effect, players might be able to immediately start playing any game without being required to first download it.
Rather than game streaming being an unachievable concept, it is feasible and near at hand. Big-name companies like Google, Microsoft, Playstation and Nvidia are currently cooperating and investing in such a service.
Example, the GeForce Now found on Nvidia currently lets players stream their game catalogue to Windows, Mac and the shield TV. Google is presently finetuning its Project Stream service in company with Ubisoft, while Microsoft is polishing up its xCloud that has the goal of streaming Xbox games to mobile by 2019. As for Playstation Now, it has more than 650 games that can be accessed for less than 20 quid per month.
Gaming Phones to Become a Thing in the Future of Mobile Gaming
As 5G comes of age, yet another shift is being experienced in the mobile gaming sector- the rise of gaming-centred smartphones. Among such phones are the Razer Phone, the Asus Rog 1 and its sequel, the Xiaomi Black Shark, Black Shark 2 and Black Shark Pro, the XTE Nubia Magic and others.
Such gaming-centred phones are distinguished by having outsized batteries, screen refresh rates above 60Hz, RGB lightning, absurd amounts of RAM and internal storage and very low touch latency. They also cost more than most laptops and most have a host of aftermarket accessories like gamepads, controllers, cooling fans, and the like.
There is however a notable disconnect. On one hand, 5G promises to enable streaming services that will make it possible for mobile gamers to play any game they wish regardless of how powerful or otherwise their smartphone is. On the other hand, some companies are intent on releasing gaming-centred phones that cost an arm and a leg when these are ostensibly not needed due to the advent of streaming services.
However, the fact on the ground is that there appears to be a market for either model. So, there will always be enthusiast mobile gamers who will prefer to game on the most powerful mobile hardware on games that are physically installed on their devices. Doing this makes it possible for them to get spoiled with video and audio of the highest possible fidelity.
Then some gamers will opt for game streaming, due to its easy convenience. Folks can opt for either game streaming or using gaming-centred phones according to their particular preference.
Enter the 5G World!
5G promises to be the future of mobile gaming and a literal game-changer. It will enable new and novel opportunities for gamers, developers and advertisers and make possible the development of games that are so far-out that they could currently be placed in the realm of science fiction.
The shift to 5G will not be instantaneous, and will take years. Meanwhile, folks can be assured that the future of mobile gaming long imagined will certainly face an upward trend very soon.