5G, the fifth-generation mobile network, is set to change mobile gaming as we know it, boosting growth in the sector and providing increased accessibility for mobile gamers around the globe. 5G mobile gaming is shaping up to offer sweeping changes.
The prediction was made by Min-Liang Tan, Co-Founder & CEO of Razer, in an interview with Sky News on the eve of the Consumer Electronic Show (CES) in Las Vegas. At the technology trade show, the gaming hardware company introduced the Android cloud gaming handheld Razer Edge and the Leviathon V2 Pro soundbar, which features head-tracking artificial intelligence.
The benefits of 5G for gaming
According to Tan, 5G will not only herald benefits for industry giants such as Microsoft and Sony, the fifth-generation mobile network will revolutionize the larger gaming industry. It will give gamers the chance to play games, which under normal circumstances require top-of-the-range gaming PCs, on their mobile devices.
The faster internet speeds enabled by 5G will bring benefits to the wider entertainment industry. It will enable more reliable connections for consumers to enjoy streaming services such as Netflix. Plus, just as mobile gaming is reliant on quicker internet speeds to reduce latency, live casinos require fast connection to ensure players can enjoy a smooth experience. A phenomenon achieved by ensuring the elimination of network a lag. Lag elimination in turn minimizes delays in the live-action in table games such as blackjack and roulette.
Another benefit of the fifth-generation technology highlighted by Tan is that 5G connectivity will give gamers around the world access to a whole new level of mobile gaming. He told Ian King of Sky News: “It puts high-powered gaming into the hands of low-powered devices through cloud gaming. That’s what 5G really promises to bring to all gamers everywhere.”
Bucking the growth trend
Tan added that 5G would also drive growth in the sector. The gaming industry has continued to achieve consistent growth despite reduced consumer spending amid rising global inflation and a cost of living crisis.
Predicted to achieve a revenue of almost £140 billion in 2023, the mobile game center boasts a total number of gamers forecast to reach over 2.3 billion by 2027. As 5G rolls out in countries around the world, it will give wider access to a new generation of gamers. This is especially true in Africa, Asia, and South America, which will continue to contribute to user growth over the next decade.
In the UK, 5G connectivity availability tops off at around 70% of UK properties from at least one mobile operator. A year ago it totalled just 50%. Furthermore, 20% of mobile phones boast 5G capabilities. Although the UK’s communications regulator Ofcom called for increased investment in 5G to ensure greater coverage.
5G represents one of the biggest innovations for the gaming industry. What’s more it offers the scope to open up access to an increased number of global gamers on smartphones. 5G, along with its successor 6G, will ensure that the gaming industry continues to buck the growth trend.
