Have you noticed how remarkably the background sounds have improved in games? For example, there is a perceptible difference in sounds made by a despondent soldier’s dragging steps, a child’s springy steps to the light steps of a person in love. The differences in these kinds of background sounds that games have captured today show great fidelity and it is a true example of how technological advancements and unfettered creativity have made games more lifelike. So much so that games almost seem like movies, and it is not just the sophistication in sound and quality of graphics but also how intriguing the plots have become. There are multiple games that are adapted into movies, TV, or online series.
Here, Better Means Bigger!
As games become movie-like visual delights, their file sizes are also growing significantly. And in the case of AAA games, which of course have the highest fidelity, it can run into 100s of GBs. It does not end there either, as most of the games keep introducing new plots or improvements -such as updated maps – which continue to add to their size. Add to this 3D games that offer realistic playable environments, and the size of games is the biggest it has ever been.
With the availability of affordable equipment such as virtual reality (VR) headsets, better network coverage, and the availability of 5G, VR gaming is likely to gain traction and become mainstream. It’s also expected that Augmented Reality (AR) will soon become more feasible. These developments may also add to the ever-increasing size of games, and they may become even bigger!
Not Hindered by Size
As per a study1 “Insights into Next-Gen Indian PC Gamer” by Western Digital, 51% of gamers blame slow loading time, 39% on the loss of frame, and 36% on the stuttering of visuals on screen for bad gameplay. Insights from the same study underline that slow storage (57%) has the most impact on gameplay. If the storage is not able to respond to and access data quickly, a fast GPU and CPU will not help much. Therefore, gamers need a storage solution that is built for gaming and lets them compete at their absolute peak. A storage solution that can crush load times and slash throttling, lagging, and texture pop-ins. Storage that is reliable enough to let them play for long hours and where the rig maintains peak performance through the most intense gaming sessions. Moreover, with growing game sizes, the big capacity size of storage devices has become a necessity for gamers.
Games require purpose-built solutions that can keep in mind their unique needs – whether it is a chair, monitor, headset, or storage. For example, the WD_BLACK portfolio is designed ground-up keeping in mind the gamers’ requirements and the evolving gaming industry. It includes blazing-fast solid-state drives (SSDs) to ensure a competitive edge. One such solution is the WD_BLACK SN850X SSD, powered by NVMeTM technology, it provides speeds of up to 7,300 MB/s* and helps deliver top-tier performance with ridiculously short load times for an elite gaming experience. As far as capacity is concerned it offers up to 4TB** storage. The drive also offers more control to gamers through the WD_BLACK Dashboard which monitors the health of the drive. What’s more, it comes loaded with futuristic features, such as predictive loading, overhead balancing, and adaptive thermal management.**
The Future is even Brighter
As games become more sophisticated, the line between movies and games will blur. Gamers and streamers have huge fan followings who sit and watch them play for hours. As video game plots become more imaginative and graphics fidelity becomes better, games will become even more entertaining for the spectators and not just the gamers themselves. The movie industry has also begun to utilize the tech advancements of the gaming industry in shooting movies in a virtual environment. This also means that the storage industry will need to continue to innovate and help ensure that storage does not become a bottleneck in the evolution of games.
By Khalid Wani, Senior Director, Sales, India, Western Digital.
Note: The views expreseed are those of the author and not necessarily of HT Tech.
