It’s 2025, and while we’re still years away from the expected commercial rollout of 6G, we’re slowly inching closer.
Whether you have a pretty solid understanding of what 6G could look like or you’re totally unfamiliar with the concept, you’re in the right place. We’re taking a deep dive into what 6G will look like, what this new technology could mean for the world, and, of course, how it’s going to affect gaming in possibly big and maybe surprising ways. Let’s start by defining what is meant by the term 6G.
What Exactly Is Meant by 6G?
6G networks are the planned, but not yet available, new generation of cellular networks that are now under development. 6G stands for sixth-generation, and will naturally be the successor to 5G. The new standard is going to be an improved version of the previous one, giving users and devices access to faster wireless internet with lower latency.
The Companies Working on 6G Today
When it comes to investing in and working on 6G, seemingly all of the big companies want a piece. Companies involved or interested in the development of 6G include the likes of Google, Airtel, Apple, Huawei, Samsung, Xiaomi, and notably Nokia. Several research institutes and governments have also expressed interest in the project.
When Is 6G Set to Be Introduced?
The expectation is currently that commercial 6G network rollout will start in the early 2030s. In mid-2025, the technology is still not yet fully developed, although impressive progress has been made, and testing has started.
Once the rollout starts, it’s likely to take many years until a majority of devices are connected to 6G – if there will ever be such a point. The previous iteration, 5G, still has a long way to go, with 4G still dominating the global market.
The Peak Speed of 6G
6G networks are likely to be much, much faster than previous generations, delivering mind-boggling upload and download speeds with even shorter latency than before. 6G-technology is said to be able to deliver a network speed up to 100 Gbps – 10 times more than the theoretical maximum of 5G!
On top of that, the latency will be much lower. While the latency of 5G networks is from 1-10 milliseconds, usually undetectable by humans, 6G can do even better. 6G will target latency in the microsecond range. At 1 microsecond, it would be just one thousandth of the best 5G can do.
The Impact of 6G Technology on Gaming
At the aforementioned speed and reduced latency, you can easily imagine that 6G will have an impact on gaming, especially for those competing in e-sports. Let’s look at a couple of important specific ways 6G is likely to impact the world of gaming.
Cloud gaming and remote desktops
One of the biggest ways that the introduction of 6G could affect gaming is cloud gaming. This new technology enables anyone to play a very demanding game without owning a device that’s powerful enough to run a game. Instead, the game is run on remote servers, and the output is streamed to the user in real time.
The biggest issue with cloud gaming right now is internet speed and latency, impacting player experience. Through 6G, that could be a thing of the past. This would be especially important in cases of cloud gaming on mobile, as you don’t have the option of connecting your mobile device to an Ethernet cable.
VR, AR and the Metaverse
To experience a truly realistic VR experience, massive amounts of data are needed. With 6G, perhaps stepping into the Metaverse worlds will be viable at last. With practically no latency and super-high network speeds, people could easily join virtual reality worlds at home or use Augmented Reality tools when out and about.
It could also enable completely new ways of playing at, say, an online Bitcoin casino, many of which are already paving the way by mixing tech advances with fun. These high-tech casinos could introduce VR casinos very similar to the physical experience of visiting a VIP casino, and quite possibly even better, as users can customize the appearance of the casino, the sounds, and maybe even the personality of a dealer at a poker table.
This Is How It Will Work
Many specifics of the 6G network are still unknown, but there’s already lots of exciting information available as well. One feature of 6G will be that it’s going to be utilizing free spectrum bands, supposedly mid-bands at 7 – 20 GHz for outdoor cells, low bands at 460 – 694 MHz for extensive coverage, and frequencies lower than THz for the peak data rates.
It won’t just be using free frequency spectrums, though. It will also be making better use of the spectrum through efficient and smart engineering, which could also mean that the new generation of cellular networks saves energy.
Besides that, 6G will be characterized by AI and ML for optimizing the networks and achieving a better performance without adding more complexity.
“Nokia Bell Labs expects AI/ML will go from an enhancement to a foundation by taking a clean slate approach, where we do away with the complexity, and let AI/ML figure out how to best communicate between two endpoints,” writes Nokia.
The 6G network will also have the unique ability to sense the environment through signals bouncing off objects.
Big Implications of a Network That Can Sense
One interesting feature of the upcoming 6G network will be its ability to sense by bouncing signals off objects. This technology will let the network determine the shape of what's there and how it’s moving. It might even be able to sense the material!
Although it’s difficult to picture a world where this is the standard, there are lots of potential use cases we could already imagine. These include sensing upcoming cars or obstacles, and hence avoiding car crashes and accidents. It might also be able to automatically call the ambulance when detecting health abnormalities, and provide some sort of cameras in dark conditions.
Finally, perhaps it could solve what may be the biggest obstacle holding VR back – the clunky headset. If we could control our devices by simple movements rather than a heavy device worn over our heads, especially in combination with the high-speed internet enabling complex graphics and almost no latency, that could be just what the technology needs to finally really take off.
Challenges and Infrastructure Cost
While lots of companies, countries, and research institutes are investing in 6G, it’s not certain to be financially viable in most places at the current time. 5G has fallen short of expectations, and there seems to be even less of a necessity for 6G in the current daily lives of most people.
Billions of dollars have already been invested in the development and testing of 6G, and rolling out 6G globally will likely amass the cost of an estimated 1 trillion dollars, according to some experts – a number which 5G has already exceeded.
Most of the Internet Still on 4G in 2025
The vast majority of the internet population is still on 4G, despite commercial 5G implementation first starting in early 2019. This indicates that there is perhaps not yet a demand for much faster internet, and while the speeds of 6G are impressive, most people really don’t need or even much want it.
Of course, that doesn’t mean that 6G isn’t going to have a global impact, but it does mean that the everyday person isn’t likely to enjoy the benefits of the insane speed that 6G can deliver anytime soon. Even as 6G starts rolling out in the 2030s, it could take decades until the world catches up with the latest cellular network technology.
Final Thoughts on 6G Mobile Internet
With every new generation of communication technology, there are new objectives, challenges, and opportunities. There’s a lot of promise in the increased performance of the 6G technology, but it might be a bit ahead of its time.
With 5G technology still struggling to keep up and spread despite being introduced now over five years ago – and 5G conspiracy theories that have slowed down progress – there’s no guarantee that 6G is going to be openly embraced by the public.
That said, the 6G network is sure to be important for certain businesses, persons, and important projects. 6G will enable new types of innovation and business models that just weren’t viable before. That’s why we must push forward and welcome the new generation of the internet, even if it takes time for the technology to become mainstream. After all, personal computers started as only a bizarre hobbyist item at first, too – and now most of us are carrying a mini one in our pockets wherever we go.