The gaming industry is not one that likes to sit still. Since the dawn of the new millennium, the platform has practically exploded, with the advent of handheld consoles, multiplayer functionality, motion controls and, more recently, the integration of virtual and augmented reality (XR).
You’d be forgiven for thinking that gaming has reached its creative peak, but you’d be mistaken. From the greater integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in the development of video games, to the evolving ways in how we consume gaming-based content, the industry always has a little more to give, even in just a year’s time!
However, these advancements will require the technological backbone of full fibre broadband to stay afloat. With that in mind, here’s where we think the gaming industry is headed in 2025 and why full fibre broadband will play such a crucial role in getting it there.
Sweetening the deal
While single-player games still generally lead the way regarding critical reception, tech titans like Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo are always finding new incentives to get us online. Be it through Xbox’s ‘Game Pass’, PlayStation’s ‘Extra’ and ‘Premium’ subscriptions, the online membership model has only been getting more enticing, giving players access to ever-expanding game libraries.
In 2025, we can expect more triple-A title games to be added to the roster or, as was the case for the new Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 launch on Game Pass, see an exclusive release period for subscribers.
But if you’re thinking about taking up such inviting membership benefits, you’ll want full fibre broadband at your side! Downloading all those new free games is done in a flash with gigabit-speed connections. Plus, once you’re online, you stay online. Say goodbye to the worries of internet dropouts turning your fun on Black Ops into a blackout!
The cost of beauty
Image Credit: Clastr Cloud Gaming
Video games are getting ludicrously beautiful in the modern era. The game engines powering our favourite titles employ cutting-edge technologies like photo-scanning, ray-traced shadows, and lumen reflections. All of these push games to get ever closer to the feeling of looking through a window, as opposed to through a screen.
There is a cost, however. While 2025 may see more game developers adopt these innovative game engines, you’ll need the broadband infrastructure to cope with the increased demand for data; particularly when playing online.
To balance the supply with such a demand for data, full fibre broadband supplies a robust and reliable connection that ensures you can enjoy every game the new year brings in its intended graphical glory.
Let the games begin!
Electronic Sports or ‘esports’ is by no means a novel concept. In fact, 1980 saw the world’s first major-scale gaming tournament for the National Space Invaders Championships. In 2025, esports will remain a stable part of the video game industry and we only expect it to grow in size.
We have already seen esports prize pools reach tens of millions of pounds and, as new titles like Valorant have already begun to enter the mainstream, we can expect to see the field of high-stakes gaming diversify even further.
If you’re a keen consumer of esports content, you’ll be no stranger to livestreaming. If you don’t have full fibre, you’ll also be no stranger to buffering and low-resolution streams. Say goodbye to both and say hello to seamless streaming in native resolution quality with full fibre in 2025.
Artificial intelligence in gaming – random by design
AI, much like the gaming industry, evolves each and every day. Marrying the two together is a stroke of genius and opens up game development to enormous new potential. Bloodborne (2014) scratched the surface of procedurally generated landscapes for players to explore in its ‘Chalice Dungeons’, a feature that continues to be explored more and more in 2024.
Giving players a completely randomised and unique experience each time they load up the console, 2025 will likely see greater use of this exciting new technology. However, many methods of running procedural development in video games require frequent data transfers between the game’s servers and your hardware at home. Full fibre broadband handles these constant data transfers effortlessly, allowing players to experience smooth gameplay as new, unpredictable content loads when gaming in 2025.
Live services games are here to stay
You may not have heard the term ‘live service game’ before, but you’ve definitely heard of the games themselves, and perhaps even played them! Live service games are a relatively new way of thinking about entertainment as an entire medium.
Developers will often release the base version of the game for free and then progressively charge players for new add-on content as the game progresses through its life cycle. Fortnite and Destiny 2 are great examples and, given the growing commercial success of both titles, we can only see 2025 extending this trend further with new names entering the market!
Given the fact games like Fortnite are in a continuous state of development and update, live service titles do require players to always be online, so fast and steady broadband is a must! Full fibre broadband is the only solution capable of putting up with such a data demand for gaming in 2025, boasting speeds of up to 11x faster of Victorian-age copper-based superfast connections.
Full fibre broadband – gaming’s greatest power up
There’s no doubt that 2025 will give gamers a lot to be excited about – whether it’s the technology of the future brought into the present, new membership benefits for online players, or the promise of brand-new titles to get stuck into. Linking them all together, however, is the need for fast and robust connectivity.
Unlike the current infrastructure used to access internet, commonly referred to Superfast broadband, full fibre networks do not rely upon Victorian copper cables which simply aren’t built to deliver the modern demands for more and more data.
Full fibre ensures robust connection with speeds 11x faster than that of Superfast networks, reaching up to 1,000 Mbps and doing so with greater reliability – more than enough to keep pace with all that 2025 can throw at your gaming rig!
Whether you’re a resident or business, you can check if you’re covered in County Broadband’s rollout by entering your postcode at www.countybroadband.co.uk where you can also register your interest to learn more about the full fibre infrastructure and service.
