On Esports AV: Crestron

AVT Question: Please share trends and insights into esports’ dynamic and quickly evolving landscape.

Thought Leader: John Hulen, Director of Channel Marketing, and Education at Crestron Electronics

The planning and intentional design that goes into creating an esports space is well illustrated by a project completed at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. In addition to the video, audio, USB signals from monitors, mice, keyboards, and more which needed to be managed and distributed around the space, what’s most striking is the importance of touchscreen control of the system for the esports lab.

How do you plan to control the esports lab or arena during day-to-day operations? When a student worker or lab manager needs to start up the system for the esports team practice, does it happen with the simple press of a preset on a touchscreen? When preparing for a competition, can a shoutcaster recall a “competition mode” to route the video to screens for spectators and to fill the space with audio to pump up the crowd? If the space is used for campus tours to help generate interest and enrollment, can a tour guide get the system ready for visiting students?

To ensure that your esports space is ready for the rigors of everyday use, intuitive user control must be at the heart of the system. The right touchscreen control not only allows the user to set up the system for the immediate requirements, but the integration of control and automation can go much further.

For example, an LED system lighting can be integrated to change color depending on different aspects of the space. If students want to reserve a station, the system lighting displays which consoles or PCs are available. If a gamer has a question or an issue with the system, an LED can be triggered to get support.

Having intuitive control of an esports space for the whole spectrum of current and future requirements will ensure smooth operation and maximize its use and ROI for your institution.