The Metaverse: And How It Will Revolutionize Everything

by Matthew Ball

For the typical online game, what actually comes from online multiplayer servers? Not much. Fortnite’s PC and console game files are roughly 30 GB in size, but online play involves only 20–50 MB (or 0.02–0.05 GB) in downloaded data per hour. This information tells the player’s device what to do with the data they already have. For example, if you’re playing an online game of Mario Kart, Nintendo’s servers will tell your Nintendo Switch which avatars your opponents are using and should therefore be loaded. During the match, your continuous connection to this server enables it to send a constant stream of data on exactly where these opponents are (“positional data”), what they’re doing (sending a red shell at you), communications (e.g., your teammate’s audio), and various other information, such as how many players are still in the match.