Game downloads and updates have become behemoth in size (e.g., 200GB for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare) and continue to increase. Each technical improvement to the game itself leads to more bloat in the size, and the potential for slowing down the gaming experience overall. The slow pre-game download, installation and setup experience alone can take some of the shine off the fun.

There are a lot of ways to look at “cloud gaming” because much of gaming today doesn’t happen without an assist from cloud technology. For the purpose at hand, though, we’re going to define cloud gaming as gaming that mirrors the same way you currently play games… only you don’t need to download a game, buy a physical copy, or use a device (PC, console or phone). Instead, you just need a screen and access to reliable, high-speed internet connectivity. The trick to mass cloud gaming might just be in the proliferation of high-speed internet connections as a replacement for high-end gaming hardware. Until recently, this connectivity could be spotty and inconsistent at best, but this is changing with the widespread rollout of 5G.

Gaming is more than just big business -- it has a reach, importance and influence that belies its once niche status. Gaming has overtaken the film and music industries combined in terms of revenue, and has become an entertainment juggernaut -- a true cross-industry moneymaker. Gaming has also been acknowledged not just as a global cultural phenomenon but also as a major of engagement platform. After all, savvy politicians are making their way into the world of Among Us players streaming on Twitch, or hosting potential voters on their island in Animal Crossing.