If you've just got in your PS5 preorder – or Xbox Series X preorder – or you're an e-sports fan, the Garmin Instinct Esports Edition should be the next item on your shopping list. With features tailored especially for esports players and Twitch streamers, it will certainly add an interesting new layer to video game streaming.
Using Garmin’s health and fitness tracking technologies, the Instinct Esports Edition uses a dedicated 'esports' activity function to track and analyse heart rate and stress during play, as well as offer long-term trend analysis. Garmin’s new 'STR3AMUP!' PC streaming tool then gives Instinct users the ability to livestream biometric data to audiences for a new streaming experience.
Garmin Instinct Esports Edition: price release date
Available now, the Garmin Instinct Esports Edition is priced at £269.99 / $299.99 / AU$499.99 . The the Garmin Instinct Esports Edition is available to buy at Garmin and selected third party retailers.
Garmin Instinct Esports Edition: features
Physically, the Garmin Instinct Esports Edition is identical to the Garmin Instinct Solar and features a case that's built to military standards (MIL-STD 810). The battery lasts 'up to' 80 hours in esports mode and up to 14 days in smartwatch mode. When paired with a compatible smartphone, Instinct also provides smart notifications such as email, texts and alerts.
One of the new features is the dedicated esports activity profile. Once activated, Garmin’s wrist-based heart rate technology analyses and displays a user’s heart rate and stress level in addition to the time of day and a game timer. After the gaming sesh', users can sync their activity to the free Garmin Connect app to view, store and analyse their data to see how their body reacts in different gaming situations.
• But the Garmin Instinct Esports Edition directly from Garmin
Another brand new addition to the mix is the STR3AMUP! streaming tool. With it, players can broadcast heart rate, stress level and 'Body Battery' metrics live and embed this data into their video streams or recordings using customisable overlays. According to Garmin, this will allow players to "interact with their audience more and showcase – in real time – the physical and mental demands of competitive play."
The Instinct Esports Edition provides a variety of body metric analytics features, so users can "analyse and fine-tune how their body reacts to competitive play", as Garmin puts it. These include wrist-based optical heart rate and advanced sleep monitoring, stress tracking, Body Battery Energy Monitor and over 30 sport modes.
