Deutsche Telekom demos 5G mobile cloud gaming service

Deutsche Telekom, ALSO, and cloud gaming firm Ludium Lab presented the 5G+ Gaming service at video games trade show Gamescom in Cologne this week.

It is implemented via Deutsche Telekom's 5G standalone network and uses network slicing which it says in the case of cloud gaming can be configured for low response times.  Another feature promises a ‘smooth picture by optimising the available data rate and thus ensuring low response times even in a busy cell.’

Deutsche Telekom claims to be the first network operator to integrate these ‘intelligent additional functions’ into its 5G network and offer them to customers.

By way of demonstrating the supposed improvement in performance, during the presentation Twitch streamer DI1ARAA and SK Gaming pro gamer BigSpin took to the stage to play popular shooter Fortnite against each other. The release states: “DI1ARAA used the 5G+ Gaming option to escape her opponent or beat him with targeted attacks, BigSpin, who competed without the additional functions of 5G, struggled.”

DI1ARAA stated: “The game ran perfectly - no lag, no stuttering. Thanks to 5G+ Gaming, I was able to navigate my avatar effortlessly through the game and was always one step ahead of my opponent.” 

BigSpin meanwhile said: “It was a really tough game. Although I usually do well in games like this, I just didn't have the same reaction time without the added features of 5G.”

Of course, all that sounds very stage managed and not very technical, but from it you get the idea of what DT is trying to pitch.

The planned cloud gaming package offers 100 games free of charge for a six-month-period ‘all in real time and with a particularly stable connection.’ The cloud platform can be accessed via an app called Sora Stream from Ludium Lab, and as soon as the customer starts a game on the platform, they are told whether they are playing in 5G+ Gaming mode. 

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra will be the first smartphone that can implement all of its functions. The next step will be to add more devices.

The offer can be booked in the MeinMagenta app via Magenta Moments as of this Autumn, but it gets a bit more complicated from there. We’re told to be able to use the free 5G+ Gaming option, ‘booking a current version of the MagentaMobil tariffs will be necessary.’ Users of an iOS device meanwhile can access the platform via the web browser of the Sora Stream – but as stated previously it seems only the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is currently tooled up to be able to use all of the service’s functions.  

The technical performance difference between the 5G+ Gaming service and vanilla 5G isn’t really articulated very specifically, so it’s hard to know what sort of upgrade in experience we’re talking about beyond DI1ARAA’s testament that “the game ran perfectly - no lag, no stuttering.”

Assuming we are talking about relatively minor performance upticks (but who knows), it's hard not to wonder why, if there is a desire to be as competitive as possible in a mobile game by squeezing everything you can out of the connection and reduce lag, you wouldn’t just use wifi. The niche is presumably then for situations where this isn’t available.

Network slicing has long been touted as a route for operators to come up with some services that might generate additional revenue beyond base 5G contracts, and so while the monetisation around this planned service seems a bit blurry from the release, there is reason to take note of any progress towards that goal.