Micron is rushing to release the latest GDDR6 graphics memory by the end of the year, and e-sports is a major driver behind the plans.
The memory company is speeding up the release of GDDR6 to cope with faster PC and console upgrades. GDDR6 will be significantly faster than its predecessor, GDDR5X, which is still reaching GPUs. Micron had originally planned to release GDDR6 next year.
Virtual reality is also driving PC upgrades, but not at the same pace as gaming and e-sports, which are forcing faster development of new graphics memory technologies, said Tom Eby, vice president of the computing and networking business unit at Micron.
A projected 500 million people will be e-sports fans by the end of the decade. Gaming PCs are now being upgraded every three years, which is faster than the previous five-year cycle.
« There will be more people watching major e-sports championships than any other North American professional championship with the exception of the Super Bowl, » Eby said.
