The gaming and esports user base in India went through a mass growth during the pandemic. However, connectivity issues saw a downfall in performance. Now that the Indian government has proposed a rollout of 5G services, the same will take the Indian gaming sector to new heights. This means super-fast downloads and uploads, glitch-free multiplayer video games, live streaming, and real-time gaming.
In India, over 420 million people are active online gamers, and there are about 500 million digitally young people. The adoption of 5G, cloud-based games, and mobile devices will certainly drive the next phase of gaming growth. In all, 5G promises a very low latency of near 5 milliseconds, while 4G latency ranges from 30 to 100 milliseconds.
This will facilitate cloud gaming services to run without any delay. As 5G networks make their debut and operators scramble to expand their network footprints, cloud gaming offers a chance for mobile operators to demonstrate the benefits of 5G to gamers.
On the same note, a recent report by Sequoia India and BCG mentioned that India’s gaming industry is generating $1.5 billion in revenue and is expected to triple to over $5 billion by 2025.
“5G is powering new possibilities for professional players by maintaining a stable internet connection, which is crucial. With a raw speed that is much higher than that of 4G, players can experience smooth and uninterrupted playtime.
With faster speed and improved latency, gamers will get a more competitive edge and will catapult the billion-dollar industry of esports,”
said Lokesh Suji, Director of the Esports Federation of India and Vice President of the Asian Esports Federation (AESF).
Moreover, 5G is expected to usher in a revolution in the telecommunications industry, leading to super-fast downloads, glitch-free multiple-player games, live streaming, and real-time gaming.
It is also expected to bring access to high-end AAA games into the mainstream scenario, i.e., high-budget, high-profile games that are typically produced and distributed by large publishers. Gamers will eventually have easy access to better and more unique experiences like AR and VR.
Faster internet speed and more reliable connections will encourage game developers, designers, and storytellers to work on grander, more complex, and engrossing stories.
“This freedom will result in more quality content with time,”
said Vishwalok Nath, director of Esports Premier League.
Previously, the whole process of enjoying a video game was that we needed to download it to play it. With 5G in the picture, players will now be able to enjoy the games on the cloud without compromising their experience.
This will allow users to save space on their mobile devices, PCs, and consoles.
“Video game updates are another big nightmare for our gamers, and these are no small 5-10 MB updates, these are like 1 GB updates and take a decent time to download, while with 5G, downloads will happen in a jiffy,”
he added.
Another major reason why gaming has been popular in India is the experience of enjoying a game through a multiplayer setup. And with 5G, it is going to be even smoother. This will bring in more tournaments, and organisers will be able to hold more local events with higher participation.
More brands will be involved to provide sponsorships and elevate the sporting experience. As a result, they will reach a larger audience while also experimenting with more complex advertising formats, which were previously data-dependent.
Last year, telecom giant Airtel hosted a cloud gaming demo on a live Airtel 5G test network. Gamers from S8UL were among the few to experience it firsthand. “Indian pro gamers, Mortal, aka Naman Mathur, and 8bit Mamba, aka Salman Ahmad, tested cloud gaming on the Airtel 5G test network at Manesar.
They used mid-segment smartphones connected to a 3500. MHz high capacity spectrum band, achieving recording speeds of over 1 Gbps and a latency of 10 milliseconds. Both gamers agreed that 5G technology would have an impact on the efficiency and experience of online multiplayer genre games such as battle royale and racing games. Experts are also sure of seeing more talent coming into the space.
Rohit Jagasia, founder and CEO of Revenant Esports said
“I’m certain we will see more budding talent rise through the ranks since internet connection has always been a matter of concern for many avid esports enthusiasts.
He concluded,
With that being said, 5G will definitely place a huge emphasis on mobile gaming and esports provided the prices are affordable since India is a very price-sensitive market.”
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