5G-enabled Testing at our Innovation Hubs – Esports Scotland

Esports Scotland are the first registered professional gaming organisation based in Scotland, aiming to support competitive gaming from the grassroots to the professional level through education, partnerships and community.

Esports is a catch-all term for any kind of professional competitive gaming, whether individual or team-based. Esports players will sound off against each other in games like CSGO, League of Legends and Rainbow Six: Siege for example, to find who out is the best in the world.

Now a multi-million-pound global industry, Esports have millions of fans all over the world who tune in to live streams with commentary or catch the highlights of matches.

We spoke to James Hood, Founder and CEO, Esports Scotland:

1. What are you testing at The Scotland 5G Centre (S5GC) hub?

During our visits to the S5GC innovation hub in Dundee, we have been testing low latency for esports. Using High end gaming laptops, we have been conducting a series of tests using standard wi-fi and then the same tests using the 5g network.

2. What are you hoping to achieve during testing?

We are hoping to bring the latency right down so that in the future we can use 5G networks as an option for our esports tournaments. 5G would support real-time gameplay enabling players to react quickly and make split second decisions; high-quality live streaming allowing audiences around the world to watch the action as it happens; and smart venue management including monitoring event logistics, traffic flow, crowd control and improving overall safety and efficiency.

3. Why are you using 5G to test your product/solution?

Because not every location we work in has the best set up for a hard wire network and as we continue to grow the esports industry in Scotland we feel 5G could enable us to bring esports to areas in Scotland that have slow internet – a 5G pop up network would be an ideal solution.

4. What’s it like working at the S5GC hub?

Fantastic! Kirsty, Jack and their team have so helpful in every aspect of the testing phase and its certainly an R&D project we are excited to keep progressing with.

5. How is 5G transforming the gaming industry?

5G is currently transforming the gaming industry through mobile esports, low latency, cloud gaming, broadcasting and production. Integrating 5G technology into the industry creates a more engaging and interactive experience for both players and spectators, enabling them to fully participate in the event in real-time, regardless of their physical location.