Today, Comcast announced the rollout of a new Internet connection with ultra-low latency, designed for use while gaming or videoconferencing. The company’s Xfinity Internet will see a major drop in latency during FaceTime calls, while using a VR headset, and better performance on “many” games on Steam.
Comcast says the service will be initially limited, but the low-lag experience will become more widely available as more content providers offer support for the technology. Emily Waldorf, SVP, Consumer Products, Comcast Connectivity and Platforms said, “Modern applications are real-time and interactive and require more than just fast speeds. Xfinity Internet’s lower lag times will be a differentiator for Comcast.”
This service could be a particular boon for the competitive gaming space. One of the disadvantages of online gaming is lag, and games where split-second reactions are required (like fighting games and shooters) can lend an unfair advantage to the player with the least latency.
If you play against someone else on the same machine, there’s virtually no lag. That’s one reason many fighting game tournaments are held in-person versus online, although developers have found ways to make online play more accurate in the form of rollback netcode.
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If Xfinity’s new service delivers on its promises, frame-perfect blocks might happen more often (at least for players skilled enough to pull them off).
The technology has been in a testing phase over the last year and is starting its initial rollout in a few specific cities including Atlanta, Chicago, Philadelphia, and San Francisco, but will expand to more cities in the future. You’ll need an XB6, XB7, or XB8 model of the Xfinity Gateway to participate, but again, the service will spread to more modems in the future.
The technology holds tremendous potential for improving one of the main obstacles in online play.
