Over the past 10 years, the mobile gaming industry has seen a meteoric rise in
popularity. Smartphones and tablets have evolved into potent gaming platforms for
various genres, including casual puzzle games and more advanced strategy games,
like the Spades card game. However, the limitations of 4G technology have
frequently limited mobile gaming’s potential. The next generation of wireless
connectivity, 5G, is about to revolutionize how we play games on the go.
Is 5G good for gaming?
This new technology promises faster speeds, lower latency, and more network
capacity, paving the way for a more engaging, responsive, and overall better mobile
gaming experience.
The obstacles of 4G and the rise of 5G
The enjoyment of a mobile game is determined by two essential aspects: download
speed and latency. Download speed determines the speed at which games and
updates are downloaded and installed. Latency is the amount of time taken by data
to travel between your phone (or other gaming device) and the game server, and it is
measured in milliseconds (ms). Lag is an incredibly frustrating delay between your
actions on the screen and the game’s response caused by high latency.
Even though 4G networks are a huge improvement over 3G, they still struggle to
keep up with the ever-increasing demands of mobile games. In congested areas,
download speeds can be inconsistent, resulting in lengthy download and update wait
times. In addition, performance in fast-paced games, such as shooters and
competitive online battle arenas (MOBA) can be thwarted by 4G latency, which can
cause significant lag.