After holding its first 5G-powered exhibition match back in February, Smart has strengthened its commitment to 5G with the unveiling of the first 5G-powered esports hub in the Philippines.
Specifically, the hub refers to the Gariath Concepts HQ which has been outfitted with Smart 5G connections for a peak speed of 1 Gbps. In case you’re unfamiliar, the Gariath HQ serves as the venue for The Nationals, as well as a host of other esports tournaments in the Philippines.
“We kicked off this year with the country’s first 5G-powered Mobile Legends match last February. Now, we are upping the ante by powering Gariath Concepts to become the country’s first 5G-powered gaming hub. Gaming is at the forefront of technology and we believe 5G will pave the way for innovative platforms and exciting products that will dramatically enhance the experience of gamers,” said Jane Basas, senior vice president and head of Consumer Wireless Business at Smart.
To mark this milestone, Smart held a smartphone vs PC crossplay Dota 2 exhibition match via cloud gaming. The match featured PLDT-Smart Omega athletes on Smart 5G-certified handsets against layers from Team LuponWxC using gaming PCs. The exhibition match ended with a PLDT-Smart Omega landslide victory, with a final score of 34-6.
As for how the Dota 2 match worked, PLDT-Smart Omega ran the game on a cloud server which enabled them to play on a smartphone instead of needing a local PC to do so. Cloud gaming requires a fast internet connection, thus the need for 5G in this situation.
Watch the highlights of the crossplay exhibition match between PLDT-Smart Omega and Team LuponWxC by following Smart’s official Facebook account at www.fb.com/SmartCommunications.