Italy’s 26.2 million gamers spent $2 billion on gaming software alone in 2018
Ubitus Inc. and Vodafone are working together to launch GameNow, a new 5G cloud gaming service exclusively to Vodafone Italy customers. The gaming service, based on Ubitus’ GameCloud technologies and developed on Vodafone 5G edge-computing platform, will be powered by the Vodafone 5G network.
The appeal of cloud gaming is that a player will no longer need a computer or console with powerful graphics hardware. Instead, a server runs a game and streams a video of the gameplay while the keyboard, mouse and controller input actions are sent over the network to the cloud gaming server. In order to achieve the best gameplay experience, low latency and high-speed connectivity is required.
5G not only promises to provide those things for cloud gaming, but it also will be able to handle the high data demands expected from gaming platform subscribers.
Wesley Kuo, CEO of Ubitus, said the company is “delighted” by the collaboration with Vodafone. “When Ubitus’ technological strengths and global connections in the gaming industry meet with Vodafone’s leading position in Europe,” he said, “there will be a new height for cloud gaming.”
Italy is the 10th biggest games market in the world, and its 26.2 million gamers – who spent $2 billion in 2018 – will be happy to hear that the platform will allow them to play without hardware limitations from a smartphone, tablet, TV or PC as long as they live within range of one of Vodafone Italia’s 5G networks, the ‘Giga Network 5G’ service.
The ‘Giga Network 5G’ service is currently available in the Milan metropolitan area (including 28 surrounding localities), Rome, Turin, Bologna and Naples, with around 45 to 50 cities to follow next year, rising to a total of 100 by 2021.
Recently, Vodafone and Microsoft teamed up to optimize mobile gaming technology in the U.K., which also boasts an impressive gaming market. As part of the arrangement, Vodafone customers will have the opportunity to be amongst the first to preview Project xCloud, Microsoft’s new game-streaming technology, over the operator’s 5G and 4G networks.
