Telstra gives you control with Game Optimiser beta testing

Anula Wiwatowska - Offsite Editorial Lead

Last updated 21 September 2020

If you’re a Telstra NBN user, tomorrow you'll be able to sign up to test the provider’s Game Optimiser to get the most out of gaming on your home network. The platform has been developed to give gamers more control over their home internet connection in order to prioritise gaming over other activities.

“We know the in-home network experience is important for customers, especially for online gamers where mere milliseconds can mean the difference between victory and defeat,” said Telstra’s Principal for Gaming, Nathan Gumley.

“Now we have a way to give our customers the controls to do their own fine tuning within their home network to help improve the latency experience for their gaming.”

Some of the features of Game Optimiser include:

Providing the option to prioritise gaming traffic and devices over other devices and online activities in the house.

Ultimately you’ll be able to tell your modem to divert all the power (internet) to thrusters (your console). This is done using beam forming from your Telstra Smart Modem, focusing a wireless signal towards that specific device.

Allocate more bandwidth to your gaming device.

Doing this ensures your device should take precedent over others on the connection and helps to reduce lag by keeping your connection steady.

Pick servers for online multiplayer games.

You’ll be able to handpick servers close to home to improve latency while playing online.

View your home network usage live

This is an easy way to identify what devices and programs are hogging all your bandwidth and know to minimise their use while gaming.

The beta will be running from 22 September through till 9 November with feedback being taken during this time. Afterwards Telstra will use the data to make improvements before launching the product officially later in the year. When Game Optimiser launches, it will be billed at $10 per month.

To sign up for the beta you’ll just need to use your Telstra ID to sign in to My Account or My Telstra, activate the Telstra Game Optimiser and then get started. Only users with a second generation Telstra Smart Modem and signed up to an NBN broadband plan will be able to access the beta, but you can check your eligibility here if you’re unsure.

Anula Wiwatowska

Offsite Editorial Lead | Instagram

Anula is the Off-Site Editorial Lead for WhistleOut Australia, and an award winning tech journalist. She has been writing about the Australian telco industry, and consumer technology for over five years, and has been known to tell her Uber driver which phone they should upgrade to next.

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