Cloud gaming and the metaverse are high on the list of priorities for UK gamers according to the latest research findings from Amdocs.
Surveying 1,000 UK consumers who game at least once a week, the research found that 79% of gamers feel positive about the future of cloud gaming with 43% predicting it will disrupt the gaming industry.
“These findings uncover several essential factors, first and foremost the need for networks to be future-ready for in-demand, intensive and seamless experiences – such as evolutions of the metaverse and the supercharging of low-latency cloud gaming,” said Anthony Gooneilleke, group president of technology and head of strategy at Amdocs.
“As these experiences become more ingrained in our culture and we begin to explore the potential of a Web 3.0 world, entertainment partnerships and new, flexible monetisation approaches that enable a la carte experiences – coupled with connectivity – will become increasingly critical.”
In addition, the report discovered that consumers are generally prepared for a “post-console” future that combines cloud gaming with 5G connectivity and is willing to pay more for it. In particular, 81% of respondents said they would pay at least £7.60 ($10) per month for new cloud gaming with a dedicated 5G connection and 85 percent said they would choose the cloud over new gaming hardware. The quality of the content tops the list of priorities for gamers when choosing a cloud gaming service (44%) with cost coming in second (29%).
In addition, despite the fact that 72% of gamers in the United Kingdom use cloud gaming services or plan to do so this year, they are excited about the improvements that 5G connectivity will bring: 51% anticipate being able to stream games from any device and location, 41% anticipate more unique interactive AR experiences, and 20% anticipate interactive experiences based on the metaverse. While only 18% of participants believe the metaverse won’t become popular, 37% think it is too early in its infancy; 36% are concerned about the cost of hardware; and 24% are unsure their internet connection can deliver it.
“We’re entering an era of significant change. Just like the iPhone turned the internet into mobile, the metaverse will disrupt the internet as we know it and gamers will be at the front lines of this evolution. Amdocs’ Gil Rosen, chief marketing officer, stated, “But while metaverse experiences for gaming are certainly a meaningful step in mainstream adoption, it’s only one aspect.” A quarter of UK gamers also believed that the metaverse would change the way we work and allow people to connect in fun, new, and exciting ways, according to our research. However, we must first deal with hardware costs, network readiness, and other issues.
