The Philippines has a large and young population, and the gaming industry is skyrocketing in this Southeast Asian country. Filipinos gravitate more to online platforms, and new technologies have had an immense impact on this industry’s growth.
Moreover, Starlink’s planned rollout could boost the Philippines’ gaming sector even more. We have analyzed its potential impact on PH gaming and how it could change this industry in the country.
Cryptocurrency Gaming
Filipinos are excited about modern technologies, and the Philippines are among the first Asian countries to have embraced crypto. Therefore, many cryptocurrency users come from this country since it has an affirmative stance on crypto and Bitcoin as its most popular representative.
Moreover, a significant Bitcoin event took place in Manila in 2018, so the number of Bitcoin users continuously increases in this country. The Philippines are also a well-known gambling hub, and Bitcoin casinos are available for players. Starlink’s satellite reaching far-flung areas in the country translates to increased internet penetration.
With these developments, the number of Bitcoin casinos in the Philippines is expected to grow in the next few months, according to Harrison Newton. This approach brings more convenience to players, who can enjoy a better gambling experience and make transactions more seamless.
When Will Starlink Become Available in the Philippines?
Starlink will enter the Philippines market thanks to a new law that allows 100% foreign ownership of instrumental industries like telecommunications or airlines. This decision was crucial for SpaceX’s focus on the Filipino market. Therefore, the Philippines should become the first Southeast Asian to introduce this broadband service. It is a move that will keep competitors on their toes.
SpaceX’s entry into the Filipino market will enhance internet connectivity in the country. Keeping in mind the geographical characteristics of the Philippines, this move will connect remote and underserved islands better. As a reminder, the Philippines are an archipelagic country of 7,640 islands, and the service should be rolled out by the end of the year.
Of course, Starlink won’t have an impact on the gaming industry, as it should also capacitate online learning, fintech, MSMEs, and e-commerce.
How Does Starlink Work?
SpaceX’s idea to deliver high-speed internet worldwide is conducted via the Starlink project. It features thousands of Low Earth Orbit satellites that should bring a high-speed and stable connection to the most remote areas in the world. Of course, the service needs to be available in the desired location, and the Philippines will have a chance to use it from December.
Unlike other services that use “standard” satellites that are more than 20,000 miles above the earth, Starlink’s LEO satellites are only a couple of hundreds of miles above the ground. It results in much lower latency, which is at the level of cable connections.
This is the key aspect of Starlink’s success, especially in remote areas where it’s challenging to support high-speed internet connection. Since Starlink has a higher bandwidth than the traditional satellite internet services, and due to lower latency, many gamers are curious about this service.
How Can Starlink Improve the Gaming Industry?
We have already stated that the structure of the Philippines population has a huge impact on the gaming industry’s growth. The average age in the country is less than 25 years, and a lot of young people want to interact, use, and engage with the new technology. Reports say there are 43 million gamers in the country, and the Filipino gaming industry is on a steady rise.
Thanks to Starlink, this number could get significantly increased over the next years. The trend of growth would certainly continue, but Starlink could accelerate it even more. As a result, the Philippine gaming industry can continue flourishing and attracting local and foreign investors and companies.
An increased number of gamers and continuous development of the gaming sector could bring a bigger commercial potential, and the whole country could benefit from these developments. Starlink can also help facilitate more gaming events in the Philippines. More tournaments mean more visibility on the global scene and more sponsors and investors in the industry. Also, the number of gaming teams should also increase and boost the competitiveness in the sector. When you have an excellent infrastructure and facilities, then the chances of steady growth both in quality and revenue from the gaming industry are bigger. Current estimates say that the revenue from the gaming sector will reach $1.5 billion by 2025. Those predictions might get even more optimistic after the Starlink rollout. Nevertheless, several technical preconditions need to be met for successful gaming via Starlink.
The Important Parameters of Internet Connection for Gaming
Starlink’s impact on gaming from a technical perspective will depend on overpassing a few challenges. Nevertheless, for gamers without broadband access, it will be a game changer from the beginning. This service will enable more people to start enjoying gaming. However, gaming performance will depend on several factors.
Intermittent drops in connectivity might have a negative impact on your gaming experience. Although they are not so often in other countries, if the connection goes down for a couple of seconds, it can disconnect you from gaming servers. Therefore, reliable connectivity should be the first precondition for a memorable gaming experience via the Starlink service.
SpaceX plans to resolve the issue of drops in connectivity by launching more satellites. This way, they will enhance stability and coverage, and existing users in other locations have already experienced improvements in reliability and coverage.
The next important criterion is latency or ping. Starlink provides internet speed between 100 and 200 Mbps and ping under 20ms in most areas where they have already run the service. These parameters are optimal for gaming, and even if latency in your location is 50ms or below, you should not have any problems with gaming activities.
Since Starlink is getting more stable and reliable, and latency is continuously decreasing due to an increased number of satellites, this service can be considered reliable for gaming. Knowing that fixed broadband cannot reach all the areas in the Philippines, Starlink will become a no-brainer for users on remote islands.
Conclusion
The gaming industry growth in the Philippines made this country a recognizable hub in this sector. Trends show that it will continue to develop, and Starlink service can boost that growth even more. What does it mean for the country? It will generate more revenue as a result of increased commercial space, the number of gamers, gaming teams, and competitions.
Domestic and international companies will get more interested in the Philippine gaming market. Therefore, Spacelink can contribute to a brighter future for the Filipino gaming industry.
