A few years ago, the gaming industry expected that console-free or ‘cloud’ gaming would dominate the world. Since the advent of Steam in the early 2000s as a platform for providing patches and updates, it had been evident that with the correct infrastructure in place, online platforms might become the fastest and most convenient method to provide game content to customers.
While this has already occurred in some places, the situation is different in the United Kingdom, where platforms such as Xbox and PlayStation remain popular, with new consoles being introduced by both industry titans later this month. Both consoles have internet services and features that promise to transform the gaming experience. Even amid new subscription services and console gaming alternatives, these new console debuts are highly anticipated.
Indeed, when Limelight investigated The State of Online Gaming earlier this year, we discovered that the majority of worldwide gamers polled (56 percent) claimed they would not subscribe to a live streaming console-less gaming service if it became available in their location. One of the primary reasons provided was a belief that console-free games will be unable to meet players’ expectations for high-speed, low-latency gameplay.
So, how can these legacy platforms assure that the gameplay experience on the next generation of hybrid consoles is improved?
The CDN’s Role in Online Gaming
Online gaming is becoming a more worldwide pastime than it has ever been. New game releases are generating a lot of excitement among players, and there is a need to offer content concurrently across multiple locations, which might have different delivery infrastructures and local content needs. To provide a consistent experience for gamers connected from all over the world, online or hybrid gaming platforms must use a robust multi-vendor approach. This strategy combines worldwide reach with a local data centre footprint to bring content delivery closer to players wherever they are, avoiding latency or download delays at the last mile.
With the release of the Xbox Series X and PS5, the way these devices manage game content downloads is changing. Microsoft and Sony will continue to rely on CDNs to meet gamers’ high expectations and offer immersive gaming experiences, and game creators may now assist to ensure that gamers get the files and data that they require. The PS5 is likely to handle downloads differently from the PS4, such as allowing only the single-player version to be downloaded without the multiplayer features when necessary. CDNs will aid in the delivery of high-quality experiences by employing advanced caching techniques and utilising real-time analytics capabilities.
New game releases will continue to be enormous in size, and some titles will be accessible as downloads or digital only, with no disc to insert into the system. Critical gaming action and widespread adoption of the new consoles will require strong delivery partners to assist ensure that gamers are not irritated by delays and bad performance.
Consoles are still not out of the woods
Google Stadia’s early industry test case has demonstrated that when gamers’ reactions to a new platform are tepid, brand reputation and equity are jeopardised. One of the primary takeaways from the early customer response was that the new platform was playable enough, but didn’t quite meet up to their audience’s quality standards. It should come as no surprise that performance difficulties and delays are a huge turnoff for British gamers when it comes to online gaming platforms, with 16% citing this as the reason they would not join up for an online service.
In terms of the larger gaming community, 65 percent of British gamers informed us that the pricing of such services is prohibitively expensive. For new services to make the cut and earn their membership money each month, content must reign supreme. To keep users from switching out, new online services will need to customise their offerings of high-quality games and provide with smooth pixel-perfect video.
As the online gaming industry prepares to supplant the console, the fact is that they will be held to the same visual quality and game responsiveness standards that we have come to expect from our favourite offline platforms. Without the backing of a durable, low-latency content infrastructure capable of delivering both performance and speed, the online gaming trend may remain stagnant for years.
