2025 Awaits Chinese Domestic GPU and It will Blow Away the Gaming Market

China's Domestic GPU is about to blow away the gaming market by 2025

AI in gaming refers to responsive and adaptive video game environments. These AI-powered interactive experiences are typically created by NPCs, or non-player characters, that behave intelligently or imaginatively as though they were being directed by a human gamer. An NPC's behavior in the game world is determined by AI. Though AI has existed in some form in video games for a while, it is still seen as a burgeoning new area for game design and gameplay. The player, whose actions contribute to the game experience, is more in control of the game experience in AI games.

The main goal of AI in video games is to improve the playing experience. As game creators give gaming experiences to various platforms, it is especially crucial. Gaming no longer only involves choosing between a console or a desktop PC. Instead, they anticipate engaging gaming experiences on a wide range of wearable and mobile devices, including VR headsets and smartphones.

The primary goal of the first artificial intelligence use in Chinese video games is to enhance the playing experience. For instance, the top three Chinese video game developers in 2019—Tencent, NetEase, and Changyou—have all incorporated speech recognition technology to enhance gaming immersion. Players can use this to turn their voices into messages or game instructions while keeping their hands free. Fortunately, considering the magnitude of the mobile game business in China, artificial intelligence advancements in mobile games are largely similar. The iResearch Institute estimates that in 2018, the Chinese mobile gaming market had a value of over 100 billion RMB.

A gaming GPU will be ready for the domestic market by 2025, claims Chinese graphics accelerator technology company MetaX Tech, also known as mu xi in local parlance. Dr. Yang Jian, the company's co-founder, chief technology officer, and chief software architect, is said to have discussed the MetaX GPU roadmap in a recent media interview (opens in new tab), including some information about its high-performance GPUs prepared to compete with foreign rivals.

Evidently, MetaX is making excellent progress right now in terms of both funding and development. Its heterogeneous 7nm GPU was taped out and prepared for production earlier this year. Additionally, it is stated that this product's manufacturing will begin "soon." With ambitions to begin mass production in 2024, its second flagship GPU for scientific computing, AI inference, and data centers is currently in the final stages of R&D.

None of those items, however, achieves MetaX's objective of becoming a Chinese manufacturer of high-performance GPUs that competes solely with foreign flagship items. Dr. Yang claims that such a product is required because 40% of the world's usage of GPUs comes from China. The MetaX products include "self-developed core IP from scratch, and independently built GPU architecture and instruction set," in contrast to several other Chinese GPUs. Innosilicon, whose extremely effective and competent Fantasy GPUs were recently verified to be powered by Imagination Technologies (PowerVR) technology, holds a different mindset.

The next step for MetaX will be to complete the development of a complete all-around GPU that will not only speed GPU computing calculations, AI, or scientific computing but also make the big leap into graphics rendering acceleration. This will allow MetaX to capitalize on the opportunity of being a leading Chinese GPU pioneer. According to a portion of Dr. Yang Jian's interview, which was picked up by the Chinese tech website MyDrivers (opens in new tab), MetaX will have a fully functional gaming GPU available by 2025. We believe the gaming GPU line will be known as "MXG," as stated on the MetaX website (opens in a new tab).

The following development goals seem reasonable for replacing imported GPUs, which may become rare, in light of the likelihood that China will face increased tech sanctions in the coming months due to worries about high-tech weapons. While the global GPU market is now in a precarious state, we expect that by the time the next GPU crunch (if it occurs) arrives, there will be an abundant supply of Chinese homegrown GPUs to ease any shortages