SKT to offer exclusive game contents for 5G service



SK Telecom said on April 3 it will offer a wide range of mixed reality game and media contents for its 5G customers to take advantage of its new mobile network set to launch later this week.



The nation’s top mobile carrier unveiled four types of mobile plans for 5G smartphone users, which range from 55,000 won ($48.40) to 125,000 won per month.



The prime and platinum plans, priced at 89,000 won and 125,000 won, respectively, offer unlimited data plans, along with free membership for its exclusive media and game content.



As 5G technology will be able to handle far larger data volumes with little latency, the telecom company has struck partnerships with global game developers and content providers to offer “killer contents” available on 5G smartphones.







SKT said its 5G customers will have access to Niantic’s new AR game “Harry Potter: Wizards Unite” in the first half of this year, a new location-based game inspired by J.K. Rowling’s Wizarding World and the Harry Potter franchise. Niantic is a US-based game developer famous for its AR game “Pokemon Go.”



The Korean firm plans to offer AR content jointly developed by Magic Leap, and VR and AR versions of “League of Legends,” one of the most popular esports in the nation, in partnership with US game developer Riot Games.



It has displayed Magic Leap’s AR headset in experience zones, which is a main competitor of Microsoft’s HoloLens.



Cloud game pioneer Hatch’s streaming game content and “KartRider VR” jointly created by Korean game developer Nexon will be available on 5G smartphones in the coming months, the company said.



“AR, VR, game and media services are just the beginning of the 5G service,” SK Telecom CEO Park Jung-ho said in a media showcase event. “We will continue to show off innovative 5G services to lead the new ICT sector.”



By Ram Garikipati and newswires (ram@heraldcorp.com)



