Aethir, a decentralized physical infrastructure (DePIN) project known for providing GPU-as-a-service, has announced a strategic partnership with Return Entertainment, a cloud-native gaming company with a focus on the smart TV market. This collaboration aims to enhance the gaming experience for smart TV users by utilizing Aethir’s decentralized GPU cloud infrastructure to power Return Entertainment’s gaming offerings.
According to the announcement, this partnership is set to transform the landscape of smart TV gaming by enabling streaming-based experiences that are accessible to a broader audience. The collaboration is designed to benefit smart TV operators, manufacturers, and streaming service providers by offloading GPU-intensive workloads to Aethir’s cloud infrastructure. This shift allows players to enjoy high-quality, state-of-the-art games without the need for advanced hardware, relying instead on a basic, stable internet connection. The integration is expected to make premium cloud gaming more accessible than ever before, tapping into a vast and largely untapped audience of nearly one billion smart TV users worldwide. A significant portion of this demographic is not connected to gaming consoles, presenting a massive opportunity for the gaming industry.
Expanding the Reach of Cloud Gaming
The partnership between Aethir and Return Entertainment comes on the heels of Return Entertainment’s successful launch of its smart TV cloud gaming platform, which debuted with the game Rivals Arena on Samsung TVs across the United States. This platform allows users to engage with the game by scanning a QR code, using their smartphone as a controller. The seamless integration of cloud gaming into smart TVs represents a significant step forward in making gaming more accessible to the general public, particularly those who may not have invested in dedicated gaming consoles.
Aethir’s contribution to this partnership is underscored by its claim to operate the largest fleet of Nvidia H100 Tensor Core GPUs within the web3 industry. This extensive GPU capacity is critical to supporting the high demands of cloud gaming, ensuring that games run smoothly and efficiently, even on devices that are not traditionally associated with gaming. In November 2023, Aethir took a significant step in the cloud gaming sector by launching a testnet on Arbitrum, Ethereum’s largest Layer 2 network. This move demonstrated Aethir’s commitment to advancing cloud gaming technology within the decentralized ecosystem.
Samsung’s Strategic Moves in the Web3 Gaming Space
The announcement of Aethir and Return Entertainment’s partnership arrives shortly after Samsung made headlines with its deepened involvement in the web3 gaming space. Approximately two weeks prior, Samsung expanded its partnership with Illuvium, a popular web3 game, as part of its strategy to promote its web3 TV bundles. This collaboration allows owners of Samsung Web3 TVs to view their in-game Illuvium NFTs directly on their television devices, further blurring the lines between traditional entertainment and emerging digital assets.
Illuvium also featured prominently at Samsung’s booth during the ongoing Gamescom convention in Sydney, Australia, showcasing the growing intersection of gaming and blockchain technology. Samsung’s commitment to this space was further solidified with the launch of its web3 TV bundle, GEN3GATE, in April 2024. The bundle can be purchased alongside two of Samsung’s smart TV models and includes a Ledger Nano X, one of Samsung’s GEN3RATOR NFTs, and a Samsung smart TV. The GEN3RATOR NFTs are designed to unlock new features as Samsung continues to roll out its web3 roadmap, providing users with a dynamic and evolving digital experience.
Samsung’s foray into the web3 space extends beyond Illuvium, as the company has also established partnerships with other prominent entities in the blockchain and NFT sectors. These include the World of Women NFT collection, the Wilder World metaverse game, and the Polygon Ethereum scaling solution. Samsung’s strategic collaborations indicate a strong commitment to integrating web3 technology into its consumer products, positioning the company at the forefront of the next wave of digital innovation.
A New Era for Gaming and Digital Entertainment
The partnership between Aethir and Return Entertainment, coupled with Samsung’s ongoing efforts in the web3 space, signals a new era for gaming and digital entertainment. By leveraging decentralized infrastructure and integrating it with mainstream consumer electronics, these companies are paving the way for a more inclusive and immersive gaming experience. This approach not only democratizes access to high-quality gaming but also opens up new possibilities for how games are developed, distributed, and experienced.
As the gaming industry continues to evolve, the integration of decentralized technologies like those offered by Aethir is likely to play an increasingly important role. The ability to provide GPU power as a service, combined with the growing capabilities of smart TVs and other consumer devices, suggests that the future of gaming will be more decentralized, more accessible, and more interconnected than ever before.
In conclusion, the collaboration between Aethir and Return Entertainment represents a significant advancement in the field of cloud gaming, particularly within the smart TV segment. As these technologies continue to develop and integrate, they are expected to unlock new opportunities for both consumers and developers, reshaping the landscape of digital entertainment in the process.
