AR eSport

Gaming represents a significant proportion of 5G’s current revenue potential. While many CSPs’ strategies in this area are dominated by a reliance on enhanced network speeds (the only currency available in NSA 5G), Standalone (SA) 5G will allow these players to leverage the 5G value plane to shift their offerings into the NES model in order to realize far-reaching benefits.

Examples include:

• Introducing AR/VR (augmented/virtual reality) into games dramatically increases network requirements – both from speed and latency perspectives. Providing a tailored slice for these types of apps is a unique enabler.
• Ability to take experiences “on-the-go”, wherever you are is a widely desired feature.
• Offloading compute from the end-devices to the edge (rendering at the edge) enables end-users to enjoy their experiences with devices that are lighter and less expensive than those currently required.
• As eSports gain popularity, assured network performance will be key to ensuring fairness between competitors. While tournaments held at arenas may have dedicated connectivity, CSPs will be needed to provide reliable connectivity to support contestants competing from home during the qualifying stages – potentially via an on-demand, pay-per-use model.