Leveraging the Cost-Efficiency of the Cloud to Deliver Gaming Services

The cloud is a game-changer — literally. More and more gaming software companies are delivering their products as cloud-based services, creating a cost-efficient solution for gaming aficionados. As cloud gaming becomes more popular, however, service providers will need to make significant investments in data center infrastructure to ensure a high-quality experience for their customers.

Gaming can be an expensive proposition for players. In order to run the latest software and get the highest performance, gamers have to upgrade their PCs quite often. Gaming consoles also have to be updated frequently, and the cost of the individual game discs can add up quickly — particularly when it comes to the hottest AAA titles.

Cloud gaming services eliminate most of that expense. Because the games are delivered as a streaming service, players only need a PC, a game controller, a good Internet connection, and a high-end monitor or TV to get the best video quality. Instead of buying individual titles, players have access to the latest games available through the subscription service for a monthly fee.

Gamers don’t have to sacrifice performance in order to save money — cloud gaming provides a high-quality, 4K-resolution, 60-frames-per-second experience. Plus, there’s not as much stress on the gamer’s hardware or as much power consumption, further reducing costs.

On November 19th Google is unveiling its Stadia service, which allows users to play games across all of their supported devices with the Stadia controller. Microsoft has begun to preview streaming games to mobile devices with its xCloud service, and Amazon is expected to roll out a cloud gaming service as well. With billions of gamers worldwide, these services should see a lot of demand, which will undoubtedly encourage smaller companies to roll out similar offerings.

Companies that don’t have the resources of a Google or Microsoft are going to need to build out data center infrastructure to provide cloud gaming services. Amazon Web Services promotes its platform for the delivery of online gaming, but public cloud costs can add up quickly as the gaming service grows. Also, cloud gaming services will require more compute power than the typical web application, so servers with advanced graphics processing units (GPUs) will be needed.

Enconnex is uniquely positioned to help gaming software providers to move into and maintain the cloud gaming arena. GPUs consume a lot of electricity, leading to significantly higher power densities in the data center, which means more heat. Efficient cooling will be essential for cloud gaming data centers. Our in-row cooling solutions provide the capacity needed to adequately cool GPU-based systems. We also offer aisle containment solutions and racks and cabinets that enable maximum airflow. We manufacture these products to exacting specifications to meet the highest standards for quality and cost-efficiency.

Of course, these solutions aren’t just for cloud gaming. Any organizations that are looking to roll out a cloud service, or to simply increase the operational efficiency of its data center, can benefit from Enconnex products. Contact us to discuss how our high-quality can change the game in your IT environment.