5G was introduced, commercially, in 2019. Its aim was to offer faster Internet speeds and capacity while reducing latency. It was seen as a massive upgrade over 4G. It was developed with the Internet of Things and advances in VR and other technologies in mind.
6G will take the evolution of mobile Internet even further, opening up new avenues of gaming, potentially even including holographic gaming, as well as more advanced and more powerful VR applications.
Connection Speeds
4G was developed primarily for the purpose of voice calls and improved mobile communication. It offered maximum theoretical download speeds of 1Gbps. 5G offered a significant speed improvement, reaching a theoretical maximum of 20 Gbps. Early testing indicates a theoretical maximum speed of 1Tbps for 6G.
This will prove beneficial for gaming via mobile connection, especially for gaming in 4k and using technologies like VR. It’s also worth considering that 6G’s early rollout isn’t expected for five years, so we don’t know exactly what gaming technologies will be prevalent at that time.
Do Gamers Need Faster Connections?
While the extra speed might seem unnecessary for mobile and casual games, these titles also continue to advance.
AAA titles are increasingly getting mobile launches, while the top mobile casino apps now feature live dealer games – dealers are streamed from live studios to gaming devices, and players can place live bets on the action, just as they would in physical casinos. Gaming expert Ella Wren points to the immersion these types of games have to offer.
Latency And Lag
As well as needing rapid download and upload speeds, another factor to consider with mobile Internet connections for these games is latency. Latency is the amount of delay when sending and receiving data. High levels of latency can lead to lag.
Not only do lagging games cause a loss of immersion for the player, but lag also negatively impacts gaming. This is especially true in competitive multiplayer lobbies, as well as in live dealer casino gaming, where players need to place bets before the roulette wheel is spun or the cards are dealt.
Reliable Connections
Whatever you’re playing, you don’t want to lose connection partway through a game. In areas with good signal, such as in major cities, 5G connections can be very reliable. Users can get a connection whenever they want one and won’t lose that connection until they choose.
However, this isn’t the case for all 5G users, with many reports of spotty and unreliable connections. 6G will bring greatly improved reliability, which is needed in robotic and drone applications, and will also benefit gamers and other mobile Internet users.
Greater Bandwidth From Higher Frequencies
Whereas 5G uses frequencies below 6GHz and above 24.25GHz, 6G will operate at frequencies above 95GHz up to 3THz.
These higher frequencies will offer significantly greater bandwidths, which will make it possible to send and receive advanced data.
This will make it possible to use 6G for holographic communication, as well as VR, AR, and metaverse realities. Whatever direction gaming takes, 6G will be able to support it.
The 6G Rollout
Despite having been launched 6 years ago, only around half of the world’s population has access to 5G. But, despite that, the next generation of mobile Internet is already in the works.
6G is expected to start rolling out in 2030, and experts claim it will do more than offer faster Internet connections. It will incorporate AI itself, while also helping fuel further AI advances. while making further improvements in latency and reliability.
With that said, the headline attraction of 6G is that it will offer speeds up to 100 times faster than that of 5G mobile Internet.
Gaming Benefits
This will make it possible for players to game using mobile connections, even from home, but for gamers to really enjoy the benefits of the new and improved connectivity, it will take time to reach the general public.
Requirements
Considering the speed of this and previous generations of mobile Internet, it is likely to be ten years before the majority of people have access to 6G and, by then, gaming may have taken a different direction or further embraced emerging technologies like VR and AR.
Game makers will have to wait until 6G gains some traction before they can feasibly invest in creating games for that generation of devices.
And then there’s the question of hardware. In ten years, VR devices should be more affordable and more advanced. Mobile phones will likely be even more powerful, too.
We’ve also seen the likes of Sony announcing new mobile gaming devices, which suggests the hardcore gaming world may have the taste for this kind of thing again, and that will be necessary if we want to get the best from mobile games.
