Garmin’s latest smartwatch is already gaining traction with e-sports athletes. The company has now formed a partnership with France’s Team Vitality, and will be outfitting the team with its Instinct Esports Edition watch as part of the arrangement.
The Instinct Esports Edition debuted in October, and was marketed specifically to e-sports competitors. The wearable monitors biometrics like stress level and heart rate, and can broadcast player data in real time to make an e-sports event more exciting for the audience.
Once they start wearing the watches, Team Vitality’s players will provide Garmin with feedback that will inform the development of future e-sports products. Team Vitality is hoping that it can analyze the information generated with the watches to make better decisions during matches, though it does not yet know which features will prove to be most useful in that regard.
Either way, the two organizations plan to work together to research and deliver new features that will increase the watch’s appeal with e-sports enthusiasts.
“Garmin is a technological brand with talented research and development teams. We have experienced professional players, who have very specific expectations, depending on the title,” said Team Vitality Nicolas Maurer. “We feel more involved by this partnership, which aims to develop the best possible product and meet the expectations of professionals and amateurs. It will be exciting to follow the evolution and progress of this innovative product.”
The Instinct Esports Edition is a modified version of the original Garmin Instinct. The new partnership suggests that the company’s pitch to the gaming industry could prove to be a shrewd one, since many players will search for any edge to improve their performance.
Garmin previously released a Vivoactive 3 Music watch that was designed for audiophiles. The company’s tech is also being used to diagnose COVID-19 in a trial with the US military.
Source: E-Sports Insider
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