5G GIVES VIRTUAL REALITY AN UPGRADE
Virtual and augmented reality has infiltrated practically every industry across the globe, including TechLife! From engineering and medical training to out-of-this-world game design, VR technology is revolutionising our online experiences.
With the rollout of 5G technology around the world, 2021 could be the year the virtual world gets an upgrade. Current VR headsets depend on a connection to a WiFi network or PC to function, as 4G technology is not up to the task of supporting the demand they place on the bandwidth. However, 5G superfast wireless technology promises 100-times faster internet connections than 4G alternatives, and therefore headsets could be made mobile when supported with 5G smartphones 5G also boasts a onemillisecond latency – the time required for data to travel between two points – as opposed to the 20 typically seen in 4G smartphones. This might not seem a lot when you’re talking in milliseconds, but when it comes to VR it’s vital, and can even affect a headset user – if internet latency is above 20 milliseconds, a VR headset user can begin to feel nauseous. There are several companies, such as Panasonic and Oppo, set to roll out a wave of new 5G- compatible headsets over the next 12 months.