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Game & Gamification

Playing in 5G means setting your sights on the future

The growing diffusion of the 5G network promises to lead to the development of new business models, as well as new ways to use these models. Reply wanted to concretely test the potential of Cloud Gaming and, above all, the promises of the network that is expected to forever revolutionise our way of life, not just for game play.

Reply’s Cloud Gaming sessions powered by the 5G network made it possible to test the actual potential of the new generation network, taking one of the most discussed use cases, on-demand video games, and making it a reality. Above all, Reply’s sessions demonstrated why playing (in 5G) means setting your sights on the future. A successful experiment!

5G is a game-changer in Cloud Gaming

Today, the world of video games demands a very high computational effort on local devices, whether they be computers or game consoles (due to the output quality, the functionality, etc.). By enabling a significant part of this calculation to take place in edge computing or in the cloud, devices can become much lighter, however at the same time they require a very high-performance connection.

Google’s Stadia is a clear example that illustrates how streaming logic can be applied to video games and console dematerialisation. The service allows users to play in a cloud-based environment shifting all the computing power to the datacentre, with the objective of guaranteeing, not only a 4K streaming performance, but actually striving to double it from 60 to 120 frames per second and at an 8K resolution.

“Cloud Gaming is one of the most talked about use cases since the introduction of 5G, we experimented with it in multiplayer mode and it was interesting to see how the game can reach such high levels of connection quality and reliability with this technology”.

Paolo Capitelli, Communities of Practice Director Reply

5G will be at least 100 times faster than 4G and will offer up to 10 times less latency, with the ability to download data at the ultra-speed rate of 20 GB per second.

Next-Frontier 5G Applications

The cloud gaming approach (gaming in streaming) therefore represents the perfect test case for 5G, as it requires and takes full advantage of the specific characteristics of this new network technology: latency (low) and bandwidth (high) represent the two most critical technical aspects. Moreover the graphic power, an important characteristic of a game console, that today is updated by means of purchase of a new console in future will be constantly upgrade in the cloud by the cloud gaming provider. One of the most revolutionary characteristics of 5G is the network slicing capability, in other words the ability to dynamically configure the network based on contingent conditions, priorities and any urgencies.

This not only facilitates greater efficiency and effectiveness in terms of cost, time and flexibility, but also guarantees unprecedented levels of security,

opening the door for scenarios that were seemingly unthinkable until now: from the emergence of autonomous driving systems, to the possibility of performing a surgical procedure remotely, and certainly not forgetting that the number of connected smart objects is expected to reach nearly 50 billion by the end of 2020.