Live streaming has received growing attention and popularity in the gaming industry in the last decade, particularly since platforms such as Twitch and YouTube began offering such services. Both began doing so in 2011, though other streaming sites had existed earlier in the 2010s and YouTube had already begun experimenting with the function a couple of years prior.
But is this simply a trend that will die out in time, or does the future of mobile streaming only look brighter as we look ahead?
Breaking Barriers
Live games are a type of extremely popular live-streaming content that allows players to experience games with other online users and hired professionals in real time without having to meet in person. Many of these games are available on mobile with no need for a gaming console, making the experience more accessible. For instance, people can play online roulette at Paddy Power, with live games featuring a professional dealer who responds to players in a live chat throughout the game. Live games such as this enhance player experience by emulating the features of traditional games that could previously only be played in person or against AI.
A particularly significant benefit of live streaming that has impacted the gaming industry is its ability to penetrate time zones; rather than having to rely on restricted availability, players are now able to engage in live games with other people from across the world at any time of day. In this way, the global impact of live streaming is certainly both ground and boundary-breaking in terms of what it means for improvements to not only online gaming but also digital communication as a whole moving forwards.
Powering On
Although mobile streaming has been around for a while, recent improvements to technology including the wider use of the 5G network have vastly improved user experience in terms of convenience and accessibility. As RCR Wireless News reports, it is already being used in around 70 countries to date, we can expect faster networks like 5G (and even 6G) to soon become the standard across the globe.
Furthermore, 5G is expected to directly revolutionize the future of live streaming, as an outdoor internet connection on the go is expected to be as fast as when using the internet at home. This means that live streams will be able to provide smoother image quality, host more viewers at once without issue, and load faster whilst reducing the risk of lag.
Being able to keep up with constant real-time updates is essential, particularly for those who participate in live games, where keeping up to date dictates the experience. With large companies like Samsung constantly investing in research to improve technology that can allow live streaming features to run better than ever, the future is looking bright.
#5Gstandalone launches are increasing in frequency worldwide with 36 public #5G SA networks launched by #MNOs this year, up from 20 in 2021, with more piloting or planning to deploy the #5G technology, @AnneLMorris via @Light_Reading.https://t.co/eS6Ap7m2YC pic.twitter.com/CIgmJ9USYB
— Samsung Networks (@SamsungNetworks) December 15, 2022
Overall, we can expect with confidence that live streaming content such as live games will only become more popular as time goes on and improvements to accessibility are made, particularly as mobile gaming becomes more convenient even when away from home. We are already seeing developments in technology that allows high-quality streams to run smoothly and hold more people in anticipation of growing usage.