Ruben Dennenwaldt, Senior Product Marketing Manager EMEA, explains how WD_BLACK™ enables gamers and game developers to create elite gaming experiences.
How are technology trends in the gaming industry, such as the metaverse or virtual and augmented reality, affecting the demand for larger and faster storage solutions in the gaming industry?
Gaming has always been at the forefront of technological advancement – both in terms of components (CPU, GPU, storage) and through technologies such as the metaverse, virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR). The advancement of the gaming industry places ever new demands on components and gaming assemblies. During a game, the player will experience crashes, lags or dropped frames, and this will impact the user experience. Therefore, high-performance GPUs and huge amounts of storage are becoming indispensable in the gaming industry. If we look at the latest Triple-A games for VR headsets, they can take up to a fifth of the internal memory1. This also applies to PC gaming, where immersive worlds in AAA titles place ever higher demands on the power of their systems. If gamers do not want to lose their favorite games and at the same time try out the latest games on the market, they need high-performance and powerful solutions designed specifically for these new challenges. This is where WD_BLACK drives come to the rescue. Elite gamers are looking for high memory and performance to be able to store even more data while still playing with the confidence that their gameplay won’t be interrupted by issues like lag.
Speaking of high-performance storage solutions, can you tell us how NVMe SSDs are changing expectations for overall gaming performance?
Firstly, the right storage solution depends largely on the gamer’s needs. For example, if you’re looking for storage to archive your game library, HDDs like the WD_BLACK D10 Game Drive, which comes in capacities up to 12TB, can be a great and cost-effective choice. However, if gamers are looking for high-performance storage, NVMe SSDs are definitely the way to go. Thanks to the PCIe (Peripheral Component Interconnect Express) bus, NVMe SSDs can reach speeds of up to 7,300 MB/s. This means they reduce loading times and reduce throttling, lag, and texture popping. To maintain this peak performance, drives equipped with coolers can offer extra support for the most intense gaming sessions. Earlier this year, Western Digital announced that its flagship WD_BLACK SN850X NVMe SSD is now also available in capacities up to 8TB. This drive is great for hardcore gamers, gaming professionals, (gaming) PC builders, and PC upgraders who need large M.2 NVMe storage. It’s ideal for storing large files and media archives, including gaming libraries, live stream recordings, Plex servers, and more.
Gamescom 2024 |
Gamescom 2024 |
You mentioned hardcore gamers, gaming professionals, and PC builders. Are their memory needs different from those of casual gamers? And if so, how?
The storage needs of casual gamers, professional gamers, and PC builders vary greatly in complexity, frequency, and type of use. While casual gamers typically play a limited number of games, their gaming library is smaller and often consists of popular titles. As a result, their storage requirements are more modest, often in the 1-2 TB range. In contrast, professional gamers often have a larger library, including mainstream titles and esports titles. Depending on the game they specialize in, they will need several terabytes (2 TB to 8 TB) to store their entire collection. Additionally, professional gamers record and/or stream their games, which also increases storage requirements and requires additional space.
When it comes to performance requirements, both casual and professional gamers will appreciate fast loading times. However, casual gamers may not be particularly interested in the most powerful storage solutions. For professionals, speed is critical as it can greatly impact game loading times and performance. For both target groups, we would recommend NVMe SSDs, which will ensure minimal downtime, fast data access, and a decisive advantage in-game.
For PC builders, in addition to performance and cost, other aspects are taken into account such as flexibility, scalability, readiness for future technologies and customization options, as well as the product design and its visual impact on the gaming setup.
The WD_BLACK brand offers a wide range of SSDs and HDDs aimed at every gamer. Taking into account the demands of gamers, the brand always has the right product. In addition to internal SSDs with a capacity of up to 8 TB, the portfolio also includes a line of microSD cards for console and smartphone gamers, as well as external storage solutions with a capacity of 500 GB to 12 TB (such as the aforementioned WD_BLACK D10 Game Drive). It has also recently appeared in new colors – such as the WD_BLACK P10 Game Drive, which is now available in pink. For more information, visit the WD_BLACK homepage.
Source : Zing
