Wi-Fi 7: The Game-Changer for Gaming

Discover the untethered possibilities of gaming and content creation with low latency and multi-Gigabit throughput capabilities offered by the latest Wi-Fi 7 technology.

The gaming industry is huge, with revenue projected to reach a staggering US$282.30 billion in 2024. In the United States alone, approximately 165 million individuals indulge in video games, dedicating an average of 24 hours per week to gaming across various electronic devices, from PCs and laptops to smartphones. Looking ahead, the growth trajectory is remarkable as by 2027, the number of users in the Video Games market is expected to reach 1,472.0 million users. 

As gaming technology advances, the demand for superior internet connectivity becomes increasingly imperative. While Wi-Fi has seen remarkable enhancements with each new generation, including the significant latency improvements introduced in Wi-Fi 6, the evolving landscape of gaming necessitates internet connections capable of meeting the stringent demands of modern gaming: reliability, low latency, consistent high throughput, and minimal jitter. With the arrival of Wi-Fi 7, new and innovative technologies are now available to address these issues, providing a solution for the demanding requirements of modern gaming.

What Makes Wi-Fi 7 Special?

Wi-Fi 7,  based on the 802.11be standard developed by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), has the potential to greatly improve wireless performance for gamers and content creators. Wi-Fi 7 offers several key advantages:

1. Faster speeds through wider channels and advanced modulation techniques.
2. Adaptive connections that can work around interference.
3. The ability to create multiple simultaneous connections between an end device and the Access Point using different frequency bands at the same time.
4. Flexible resource allocation schemes which can adapt to dynamic traffic needs.

These improvements allow Wi-Fi 7 to provide multi-Gigabit speeds while keeping latency (delay) and jitter (inconsistency in latency) as low as possible. This is essential for online gaming and extended reality (XR) applications like virtual reality (VR), where high latency and/or jitter can lead to lag and non-immersive gaming experiences.

Wi-Fi 7 Enables Higher Throughput and Lower Latency

Wi-Fi 7’s improved performance comes from new features that work together to lower latency and increase throughput:

1. Multi-Link Operation: Allows devices to use a router’s multiple radios in different ways, such as switching between frequency bands as needed or combining two channels for a wider bandwidth.
2. Wider Channels and Higher Packet Density: Wi-Fi 7 supports channels up to 320 MHz wide and uses a higher modulation technique called 4K Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM). This increases the peak throughput to 46 Gbps, which was 9.6 Gbps in Wi-Fi 6. The wider channels and higher data rate also make it more likely that data can be transmitted faster, reducing latency.

Multi-Link Operation (MLO) Advancing Wi-Fi Capabilities

Multi-Link Operation is a standout feature of Wi-Fi 7 that takes wireless performance to new heights. It allows devices to connect to an Access Point (AP) with an effective bandwidth of up to 320 MHz, even if a continuous 320 MHz channel is not available. Multi-Link Operation achieves this by combining two 160 MHz channels in the 5 and 6 GHz bands, providing the benefits of dual-channel access while maintaining the high throughput that comes from using two high-band radios from the router.

Moreover, Multi-Link Operation enables devices to connect to the AP and another device, such as a head-mounted display (HMD), simultaneously using separate radios. This means you can enjoy a high-speed connection to your router for gaming or content creation while also having a dedicated connection to your VR headset or other devices, ensuring optimal performance for each.

Optimizing Band Usage for Better Performance

Multi-Link Operation technology enhances Wi-Fi performance by shifting high-throughput and latency-sensitive applications to the high-frequency bands (5 GHz and 6 GHz). This strategic move reduces congestion in the commonly used 2.4 GHz band, which is often shared by gamers’ Bluetooth headsets and speakers. By dedicating the high bands to Wi-Fi, Multi-Link frees up the 2.4 GHz band for high-quality, immersive Bluetooth audio.

Furthermore, this optimization improves throughput and reduces latency for other devices that continue to use the 2.4 GHz band, such as peripherals and Internet of Things (IoT) devices. By carefully selecting the right bands for specific purposes, Multi-Link ensures that all connected devices can perform at their best, without interfering with each other.

Wi-Fi 7 and Superior Gaming Experiences

One of the most significant benefits of Wi-Fi 7’s Multi-Link capability is its ability to establish simultaneous high-throughput connections to multiple devices. This feature enables seamless, untethered extended reality (XR) gaming experiences, allowing users to enjoy virtual reality (VR) or head-mounted display (HMD) devices without the limitations of physical cables. In the case of PC-connected VR (PCVR) gaming, an MLO-capable PC can directly connect to a VR headset and the router using the high bands for each connection, ensuring optimal performance.

Scenario: Online Multiplayer Gaming
Imagine a gamer playing a competitive online multiplayer game, such as a first-person shooter or a battle royale game. With Wi-Fi 7, the gamer can enjoy a smooth, lag-free gaming experience, thanks to the technology’s low latency and high throughput. Even in intense, action-packed moments with multiple players on the screen, Wi-Fi 7 ensures that the gamer’s actions are registered instantly, and the game responds without delay. This can give the gamer a competitive edge and a more enjoyable gaming experience overall.

Wi-Fi 7: Breaking Free from Wires for Gaming and Storage Devices

With Wi-Fi 7, gamers can achieve wired-like performance with wireless external network-attached storage (NAS) devices, enabling storage expansion while simultaneously using the same connection for gaming. Gamers and content creators can take full advantage of the increased channel bandwidth and flexible link selection offered by Wi-Fi 7’s new features. This allows users to add NAS devices or external drives to offload large game libraries and continuously record gameplay with minimal compression for future sharing, all without the need for wired connections.

Scenario: Wireless Content Creation
Picture a content creator who regularly records and streams high-quality gameplay footage. With Wi-Fi 7, they can set up a wireless NAS device to store their recordings without the need for cumbersome wires. As they play, the gameplay footage is automatically saved to the NAS in real-time, without any noticeable impact on the gaming performance. This is possible because Wi-Fi 7’s MLO feature allows the content creator’s device to maintain separate, high-speed connections to the router and the NAS simultaneously. After the gaming session, the content creator can easily access the stored footage for editing and sharing, streamlining their content creation process.

When a Wi-Fi 7-connected NAS performs similarly to local storage, content creators can store recordings and develop content directly on the NAS, eliminating the need to transfer large video files for editing. This streamlined workflow saves time and effort, making the entire process more efficient and convenient.

In conclusion, Wi-Fi 7 is set to transform the gaming and content creation landscape with its advanced features, blazing-fast speeds, and minimal latency. As the gaming industry evolves, Wi-Fi 7 will play a vital role in delivering the seamless, immersive experiences that gamers and content creators demand.