It’s hard to believe that twenty years ago, mobile games were basic pixelated images with simple characters and objects moving across the screens of flip phones with monochrome displays. These casual games did their job—they kept gamers entertained. However, they were nothing to write home about. Instead, gamers turned to consoles and PCs when they wanted to do some serious gaming. There’s no denying that gaming has come a long way in a short time.
Technological advances have made it possible to play console and PC quality games on a smartphone, something that was unimaginable even a decade ago. Beyond advancements in cell phone technology, internet speeds have increased rapidly, with the introduction of 5G transforming mobile gaming. Gone are the days of lag disruption gameplay, stopping gamers from landing that move they needed to emerge victorious in a game. 5G has ushered in an era of super-fast connection speeds, ultra-low latency, and increased network capacity. In this article, we look at how 5G is changing gaming.
What Makes 5G a Game-Changer for Mobile Gaming?
When we speak about latency in the context of gaming, we’re talking about the amount of time that passes between a player’s actions and the game’s response. It goes without saying that latency is very important in gaming. If latency is high, you’ll likely experience lag while playing a game, which can affect performance, something that’s especially problematic in fast-paced games.
As gaming has moved online, casinos have followed suit, giving gamers an opportunity to play many of their favorite slots and table games online. Roulette is a casino staple and has been faithfully adapted to the virtual world with realistic graphics and interactive features that make players feel like they’re in a physical casino. As players spin the roulette wheel, the last thing they want to deal with is lag or interruptions that break the flow of the game — issues that 5G effectively eliminates, allowing them to enjoy smooth, lag-free gaming.
Reduced latency isn’t the only benefit 5G has to offer; its high-speed data transfer capabilities mean gamers no longer have to wait long periods of time to download the games they want to play. The gaming industry has been abuzz with the potential of cloud gaming for quite some time. However, slow internet speeds have slowed its widespread adoption. 5G is changing that, making it possible for gamers to stream graphically intensive games directly to their devices without any drop off in quality.
5G’s increased network capacity means it can support a larger number of simultaneous connects, making it less likely that your wireless carrier will throttle your connection during peak hours, even if you live in a densely populated area or during large-scale events. That means consistent performance throughout the day and the ability to maintain stable connections under heavy network traffic.
Making Immersive Gaming Technologies Better
5G has delivered the low latency and high data speeds that are needed for augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) gaming experiences. While games like Pokémon GO were hits before 5G technology became widespread, there were limits to how far they could go because these technologies require rapid data transmission to render immersive environments in real time. 5G has made it possible for mobile VR and AR applications to achieve the responsiveness necessary for those realistic interactions that have made these technologies famous. With 5G, gamers can experience gaming that blends the physical and virtual worlds on their mobile devices.
Expanding Accessibility and Social Connectivity
Smartphones took gaming from being an occasional hobby enjoyed by a few to a form of entertainment that surpasses movies and music in popularity. These mobile devices have made it possible for people from all walks of life to enjoy a huge number of games at a low price. While mobile gaming was already good, 5G has taken it to the next level. With 5G, gamers can play games on the go without worrying about performance degradation.
