AV Systems for ESports Arenas: Guide
Esports are everywhere now, with the worldwide market expected to reach US$4.3 billion in 2024. It’s a competitive field, but it’s also an educational one. Many educational institutions are embracing the adoption of e-sports, but if you want to host an event, you’ll need to set up an arena. And for that to work out well, you need an AV system for e-sports arena creation.
So, how does an e-sports arena function? And what kind of AV equipment do you need? Let’s find out.
What Does ESports Mean?
Esports is short for ‘electronic sports’, and it refers to competitions held via video games. They are usually multiplayer events, either with teams or individual players battling it out to win.
The events cover several genres, including:
- Multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA)
- First-person shooter (FPS)
- Fighting games
- Card games
- Battle royales
- Real-time strategy (RTS)
Certain franchises are very popular, including Counter-Strike and Street Fighter, but esports events cover almost every corner of the video gaming world.
How Did ESports Become a Trend?
Multiplayer games and competitions have been popular for decades. However, their growth into competitive, professional markets is fairly recent.
Streaming platforms like YouTube and Twitch allowed experiences gamers to gain a following and monetize their achievements in gamings. As a result, the spectator culture also grew.
Video game developers were highly aware of this, and began to develop games or levels with this in mind. Some even provided funding for tournaments and events.
Esports competitions took off in East Asia initially, in countries like China and South Korea. But these days, esports tournaments are popular the world over.
Are ESports Still on the Rise?
Esports is still growing, and fast. In 2022, the industry expanded by 10%, and its current compound annual growth rate (CAGR) is closer to 13.8% for the next five years. This is actually a much faster growth rate than traditional sports like the NBA and NFL.
With this phenomenal growth, the industry is likely to attract even more investors in coming years, so it’s no wonder that so many institutions are looking to jump on the trend.
If you want to host a tournament, though, you’ll need an AV system.
What Is the Purpose of an ESports AV System?
The right AV system can make a huge difference to any esports tournament. Its job is to provide seamless, immersive gaming with high-quality graphics and reactions that capture the decisions and movements of the players.
Not only does the AV system support real-time gaming, but it can also be used to present live reactions from the audience and online viewers, and synchronize the experience with what the commentators are saying.
Beyond that, the system processes and displays a wealth of information, including scores and player statistics.
With all this in mind, it’s important to choose the right AV system for esports arena.
How Do ESports AV Systems Function?
An esports AV system relies on a signal flow, through which the entire operation runs. There are a few important parts of this, which we will explore below.
Source Devices
It all begins at the source: the device where the game is being played. Usually, there is more than one source device, with each player using their own.
The players need high-powered devices, such as gaming PCs, that can run any video game smoothly at ultra-high settings. Lag or delay can ruin the experience and damage competitive fairness. So, to keep a level playing field, all source devices should be high-powered and fully functional.
Transmission
The signal travels from the sources devices through various cables to reach the screen. Usually, there’s a combination of HDMI, DisplayPort, and Thunderbolt technologies that support this transmission.
The right combination can deliver high-bandwidth data, which means the broadcast is as smooth and efficient as possible.
Over long distances, some arenas also use fiber optic cables to prevent signal loss or interference. Everything needs to be zero latency.
Processing and Switching
From there, the signals enter a central processing unit. This is the central control hub for the whole arena, so it must be able to handle multiple high-definition video streams at once.
Video switchers can help to manage these multiple inputs. They also determine which input is displayed on the main screen, auxiliary displays, or broadcasted online.
Projection, Display
Following processing, the signals are sent out to the display devices within the arena. Usually, the arena has a main screen or several main screens. So, the main gameplay is shown on large LED walls, giving the audience an immersive, high-definition view of the events in real time.
Meanwhile, smaller, auxiliary displays around the arena may show supplementary data, including live chats, online information, and player stats.
Audio Routing
It’s not all visual, though. Audio signals must run parallel to the video, syncing up with the events on the screen. Full AV integration is crucial. Audio signals can include game sounds, player communications, and commentators.
The audio is routed through a separate pathway with a digital audio workstation (DAW) to manage and mix these sounds.
The DAW controls the volume and audio effects. It also controls the routing of the sounds to play across the speakers or headphones around the arena.
Broadcasting
Often, esports tournaments are also broadcasted online through a live stream. The AV system uses encoding technology to convert AV signals into a suitable format, before transmitting it online for spectators around the world.
You may need different encoding standards depending on the broadcasting platforms you are using. So, this is something the syste may need to accommodate.
What Does an ESports Venue Look Like?
With all this equipment, it’s essential to keep things organized. An esports arena may be just one room divided into areas, or there may be several rooms to split things up.
Stage
As the most important part of the arena, the stage is where players sit to do battle. Each player is set up with a high-performance gaming PC, along with a display screen to see what they are doing.
The PCs output a video signal (gameplay) and audio signals (game sounds and player communications) to the processing hub. From there, each signal is managed and routed to the stage displays and speakers.
The player’s monitor and headphones need to be logically connected to the controller, too, so that they can action gameplay in real time. Only auxiliary video outputs should be used to distribute signals.
Audience Area
The whole reason for an esports arena is to watch the event unfold in person. So, the arena must be designed with live spectators in mind.
This part of the arena should have a range of display screens and speakers to keep track of the competition. The screens are fed by video signals from the processing hub, which also sends audio signals to the arena’s PA system.
Some arenas use signal amplifiers to ensure clear, HD visuals and loud, distortion-free audio.
Booths for Commentators
Much like live sporting events, esports tournaments also have commentators to inform the crowd about what is happening. The commentators should be in a soundproof both with its own AV set-up.
Microphones capture their voices, which are then transmitted to the processing hub and routed to the PA system and broadcast system. It’s mixed with game audio.
Control Room
All of this tech requires management. The control room is where it all happens, housing the central processing hub, DAW, and broadcasting system.
Technicians manning the control room with monitor and control the signal flow and video feeds. They are also responsible for audio levels.
Depending on the seriousness of the tournament, it may also be necessary to record all of these sources separately. This can help to review gameplay and discourage cheating or hacking.
Breakout Area
Optionally, there may also be a designated space where players can hangout and take breaks between games. Like athletes, players may need some time, snacks, and drinks to relax and recharge between rounds. Gaming can be intense, after all.
In team games, these areas can also be used for the team to discuss strategy and receive coaching (like a huddle room). So, you may need soundproofing in these areas.
There isn’t often a lot of tech here, but the setup instead includes comfortable seating, whiteboards, tables, and so on.
Final Thoughts
Running an esports tournament in an arena takes a lot of manpower and tech. But it’s all possible with the right AV system for esports arena.
As esports grow in popularity, so too does the complexity of the AV systems used in its arenas. Anyone running a tournament needs to invest in the highest-quality equipment to create immersive, visually stunning experiences that continue to redefine what esports can do.
Get it right, and you could be at the forefront of one of tech’s most exciting sectors.
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