May 21, 2024 - While esports have been around since the 1970s, within recent years, the industry has skyrocketed with the global esports market valued at more than 1.6 billion dollars in 2024. As the industry rapidly expands, there is an escalated need for venues to host both in-person and virtual esports events. Determining which type of display will transform a space into one capable of hosting an esports tournament is a crucial component to the event’s success.
“We’ve seen esports and egaming grow exponentially in popularity over the last year,” said Rob Zeller Vice President of Sales, Direct View LED Solutions at Sharp Imaging and Information Company of America. “Spectators and fans are all in, and many know more about esports than traditional sports, so they are eager to pack into auditoriums to cheer.”
When thinking about what display solutions will be integrated into an esports space, there are several options to choose from depending on the space’s size, location and budget.
Technical Qualities
Before determining which visual technology will equip an esports space, it’s important to consider the following features to optimize showcasing this type of rapid entertainment:
Consider Cost-effective dvLEDs?
dvLED technology was initially introduced in the late 90’s at a price point only large venues could afford. Thanks to major advancements in technology, dvLEDs are a popular, easily configured and cost-effective option for esports venues.
One of the biggest advantages of utilizing dvLED solutions, such as the LED-FA015i2, is the ability to customize the design to cater to non-traditional formats. These types of displays can be configured into different shapes, sizes and brightness levels. They can also be easily installed as seamless video walls or divided into sections and controlled separately for different viewpoints during an esports tournament.
Not only are dvLEDs extremely flexible in their design elements, but their vibrant LEDs also offer bright, crisp images and allow for higher ambient light conditions indoors. This is an important factor to consider since many esports venues are converted indoor spaces, such as auditoriums or lecture halls.
Typically, dvLED’s offer a high refresh rate, up to 3840Hz, allowing it to keep up with the fast-paced action and animations. These qualities make it an ideal choice for a main stage display because it can be shown in the same frame rate on the LED walls around the arena, creating a fully immersive experience for the spectators.
When considering product longevity, dvLED modules outshine their competition with a typical lifetime range up to 100,000 hours before they reach a brightness output 50 percent below the original value.
Large Format Displays for Easy Content Viewing
Commercial Large Format Displays are designed to ensure that color reproduction is in line with how the base content was designed to look while providing bright and clear anti-glare panels that allow for easy content viewing in any type of lighting situation. With true commercial displays, brightness more than doubles that of traditional consumer types of televisions and one can be expected to maintain consistent image quality for a much longer period of time, based on premium-grade internal components. This, in turn, leads to a longer product life expectancy backed by lengthier commercial warranty coverage, to give the customer greater peace of mind.
Projector Technology for Smaller Spaces
Possibly the most affordable option to create an immersive experience for an esports audience is to use projection technology as the main screen. This can be less intrusive to the space when using a retractable screen and the projectors can be hidden above the audience. This can be a more cost-effective solution, especially for smaller venues like restaurants and bars looking to retrofit their space to host esports viewing events.
When looking at a projector to purchase, the venue will need to consider several factors when considering what type of projection technology is best for the space. These factors include throw distance or how far the projector will be from the screen, lumens for brightness levels of the projected picture compared to how bright it is in the venue, and other advanced features such as edge blending, stacking and geometric correction.
If one thing is for certain, it’s that esports are here to stay. Equipping a space with the right display technology can ensure a venue’s long-term success.