By now, you’re probably tired of all the reasons you should love gaming.

You’ve likely read about it more than Uncle Cyril’s ever-changing lockdown regulations. It’s fun, it’s a means of escapism and it’s not just for kids- we get it.

Look, we’re not saying that a new console will cure the blues, but we are saying that blowing off some steam is an essential part of dealing with today’s external world. We speak from personal experience when we say that while the concept of gamers may scream spotted pre-teens and Fortnite, the reality is a mix of countries, ages and demographics combining in one of the few truly unbiased, free-to-join examples of multi-culturalism in the world.

However, the economic impact of the world we live in has created a similarly universal need to tighten belts and pinch rand and cents. In other words, outright purchasing a console is, to many, an unattainable dream at this stage.

But does that need to be true?

Vox’s rental model aims to eradicate this issue altogether and make the possibility of gaming a reality for everyone. You don’t have to put out a massive capital outlay to partake in fun and relaxation. Gone are the days of kids wishing they had what their friends do or feeling left out on the playground as everyone talks about new releases.

With our Xbox Rental options, you don’t have to spend an arm and a leg buying something you only use occasionally. Instead, you can put that money to better use, settling only for a small monthly fee until you’re ready to upgrade, renew or move on to something else.

The magic of gaming is that anyone can enjoy it.

Guys, girls, parents, even grandparents- there’s no age limit to who can have fun. With the Vox rental model, there’s no stressing about purchasing either. Just press play and you’re good to go.

It’s that simple- but isn’t that what gaming is all about?

A common misconception, however, is that gaming is only for “serious” gamers. The words “noob” and tales of pro-players destroying all challengers are greatly exaggerated. Yes, there is a competitive element should you wish to partake in it, but gaming has never lost its purity in that all it takes to enjoy is a console, the right game, and some free time. Young, old, it’s all good- pick up and play is a thing of the present.

And, for those of you who know you’ll be greeted with eyerolls at the suggestion of a new console, here’s some facts to back up your motivation:

  • Studies have shown that not only do action games enhance attention spans, they assist with language learning and decision making.
  • Gaming in general has been scientifically proven to overcome bias and cognitive dissonance.
  • Again, studies have shown that regular gameplay can improve overall mental health and have an uplifting effect on moods.
  • More studies (people have really investigated this) indicate that gaming has a positive impact on both cognitive and social skills.
  • Gaming has also been proven to assist with the following:
    • Foundation Skills: achievement drive, self-awareness, critical thinking and self-confidence.
    • Performance Skills: Perceptual, Motor, Attentional and Timing.
    • Problem Solving: Personal Development, Identity, Creativity, EQ and Self-Esteem.
    • Decision Making: Team Skills, Leadership, Communication, Cohesion and People Management.

The question we haven’t asked, however, is why do it with Vox? Well, there are actually a multitude of reasons we’ve been too humble to tell you about (until now, that is) …

  1. Let’s start with Latency, Optimised Network Design and Peering Links:

Simply put, Latency impacts the speed at which your game responds to your inputs. If you’ve ever wondered how pressing the X button makes an Internet connected feature respond, pay attention (we promise, it’s a lot more interesting than you think).

Your gaming software signals your input to the server via networking packets, which must travel through an Internet connection provided by an ISP. Before we put you to sleep, this basically means that when your response time is lowered (also known as the “Ping”), the gameplay becomes smoother and more responsive. Perfect for an FPS, where a split second of lag or game jitter can be the difference between victory and a controller flying through a window.

We’re not in the business of window repair, but our international backbone network and Internet peering was delivered specifically with this in mind. In 2019, we added the South American Cable System to the USA for the lowest latency and best gaming experience to main servers. Why should we care about South America, you ask?

Well, we appreciate that many of our customers will be using servers abroad. Our conservative strategy is designed to ensure these links never run into congestion. In simple English, your gameplay will be smoother, more reliable and involve less lag, all thanks to low Latency.

  1. Gaming Quality of Service on Last Mile:

We all know the pain of trying to concentrate on an online game while someone else in the house hogs the Wi-Fi. Aside from the noise and constant shouts of “are you on the Internet?”, both you and the other party are almost guaranteed to experience delays, frustration and, ultimately, a vastly inferior connectivity experience.

Or are you? Through configuration with our fully managed MikroTik routers, we’ve implemented the ability to gain optimal speeds and connectivity via Vox FTTH service for Gaming.

In English? You can separate your gaming and streaming, allowing everyone to live their lives in complete harmony. While the rest of your household is free to Netflix and chill while you enjoy unaffected gameplay. This is achieved by foregoing a small portion of your link to gaming traffic. We will allocate 1Mbps on a 50Mbps line or 2Mbps on a link greater than 50Mpbs. This will ensure that your gaming is unaffected by any other household Internet traffic.

  1. Bundled Offerings and Discounted Prices

You are now able to save on your Xbox Series X or S console rental and your Vox Fibre to the home subscription by selecting a bundled solution that matches your gaming needs. Starting from only R1,293pm* you can rent an Xbox console and get a 50/50 uncapped, low latency Fibre line for uninterrupted gaming. (Available speeds and pricing dependent on feasible Fibre network operator in your area.)

Get the most out of your gaming time with a 24-month Xbox and Vox Fibre bundle rental:

  • A fully managed service for the term for your Xbox console rental.
  • Flexible end-term options to upgrade your console to the then current version.
  • Low latency Network Design with transit routes throughout South Africa, North America, South America, Europe and the rest of the World.
  1. Vox UPS

We all know the drill.

You’re working or playing from home and load shedding strikes. Although it is gone for now; we know that before you blink your eyes – it’s back and you’re left sitting in the dark. Not only are your unsaved documents and gaming progress probably lost and your momentum killed, but productivity and entertainment drops to level zero.

We’ve all been there, and we’ve felt your pain. With working from home being the new normal and online gaming requiring connectivity, we’re all heavily reliant on technology such as routers, laptops, mobile phones, consoles and printers staying online for us to keep our fingers on the pulse.

Fear not, because we offer two affordable UPS models designed specifically for the consumer market. Each one will allow you to stay connected when the power goes down, and features the following benefits:

  • Up to four hours of uptime
  • Automatic activation
  • Small and compact devices
  • Plug and play installation
  • 24/7 support

All of this is just the tip of the iceberg, it’s a beginning of a journey with Vox as your technology provider. The saying goes that a journey starts with a single step and we have a range of product offering for home and office. All you have to do is click on over to www.vox.co.za and take the first step into a world of endless possibilities.