HMS Prince of Wales aircraft carrier gets eSports gym with RTX 4080 and Halo LAN battles
Royal Navy of Great Britain officially opened the first of its kind eSports center on an active warship. New area on aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales includes 12 Alienware Aurora gaming PCs with graphics cards GeForce RTX 4080, a separate console station and visual design in the spirit of modern eSports arenas.
The initiative was implemented jointly with British Esports Federation, and oversees the project Petty Officer Martin Miller, vice chairman of the naval eSports committee. According to him, the matches are held mainly in local area network, since there is no stable internet connection when the ship goes out to sea. Popular games include Halo, Team Fortress 2, and Counter-Strike. Participating in sessions also helps strengthen crew cohesion and teamwork skills.
With 2024 year eSports recognised as official sport for UK military, and the inclusion of such projects in the fleet structure has become part of the new policy. The space is used both for leisure and for mental health support programs. In the future, there are plans to expand the center and possibly add racing simulator, although Miller notes that “it’s almost impossible due to the dimensions.”
In addition to the gaming zone, HMS Prince of Wales offers sailors swimming pools, a golf simulator and karaoke, as well as an active recruitment campaign for gamers - especially those who demonstrate high level in first person shootersIn the context of increasing geopolitical instability, such projects are becoming important tools for recruitment and internal cohesion.
