Bandung, Indonesia – July 15th, 2024 – The xG Research Center of Use Cases and Applications (“xG Research Center”) today announced a new research initiative focused on automating the creation of virtual machines (VMs) for 5G cloud gaming. Led by researchers Rafael Sinjunatha Wulangsih, Jordan Theo Immanuel Sihombing, Dr. Ir. Mohammad Ridwan Effendi, M.A.Sc., and Dr. Ing. Eueung Mulyana, S.T., M.T., this project aims to enhance the accessibility and scalability of cloud gaming services, making high-quality gaming experiences more accessible to users regardless of their hardware limitations.

The Evolution of Gaming and the Rise of Cloud Gaming

The gaming industry has undergone a dramatic shift towards digital distribution, with cloud gaming emerging as a solution to the challenges posed by expensive gaming hardware. By leveraging powerful cloud servers, cloud gaming allows users to stream games to any device, eliminating the need for costly GPUs and processors.

Automating Virtual Machine Creation for Cloud Gaming

This research focuses on optimizing and automating the creation of virtual machines (VMs) for cloud gaming using tools like Proxmox, Packer, and Terraform. This automated approach:

• Simplifies VM Deployment: Streamlines the process of creating and configuring VMs, making it easier to scale cloud gaming services and meet user demand.
• Enhances Efficiency: Optimizes VM resource allocation for improved performance and cost-effectiveness.
• Increases Scalability: Allows for dynamic scaling of cloud gaming infrastructure to accommodate fluctuations in user activity.

Optimizing Hardware Emulation for Enhanced Performance

The researchers conducted extensive testing to identify the optimal hardware emulation configurations for gaming within a VM environment. Their findings revealed that:

• VirtIO: Provides the most efficient network interface for gaming VMs, minimizing latency and maximizing throughput.
• SCSI: Offers superior disk performance for faster loading times and smoother gameplay.
• Writeback Disk Caching: Provides the best balance of performance and data integrity for gaming applications.

Delivering High-Quality Gaming Experiences

Performance evaluations demonstrated the effectiveness of this automated cloud gaming solution:

• Local Testing: Delivered robust results with smooth and responsive gameplay.
• Internet Streaming: Showed promising performance with increased latency and occasional frame drops, but remained a viable option for enjoying high-quality gaming experiences.

Democratizing Access to High-Quality Gaming

This research underscores the potential of cloud gaming to democratize access to high-quality gaming experiences by eliminating the barrier of expensive hardware. By automating VM creation and optimizing performance, this initiative paves the way for greater accessibility and user engagement in the evolving landscape of digital entertainment.

About the xG Research Center

The xG Research Center is a leading research facility dedicated to exploring the vast potential of current and future mobile network technologies. Established through a dynamic partnership between the School of Engineering and Informatics at Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) and PT Huawei Tech Investment, the Center focuses on developing innovative use cases and applications for 5G and beyond (xG), fostering collaboration between academia and industry to drive the advancement of mobile technology and its positive impact on society.

* Source of Image: O. Sebastian Peñaherrera-Pulla, C. Baena, S. Fortes, E. Baena, R. Barco, and J. Kolodziej, “Measuring Key Quality Indicators in Cloud Gaming: Framework and Assessment Over Wireless Networks,” ResearchGate, vol. 21, no. 1387, 2021, doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/s21041387.