The computer, worth thousands of pounds, will be owned by the service’s Xtra promotion team as a flagship PC for social media broadcasts.
It is being supplied along with half-a-dozen other competition-grade machines. All six will be available for loan to units – the kit comes as part of an Army Esports sponsorship deal with hardware manufacturer Cooler Master and PC builders Wired2Fire. Maj Griff James (Coldm Gds), who heads up the Xtra outfit, said the metre-high Shark would be a definite talking point.
“As well as its striking appearance, it is packed with the best available parts and represents the cutting edge of a gaming PC,” he added.
“It will play anything you can think of – including high-end simulation titles.” The news coincides with an expansion of the Xtra team, with media and tech savvy soldiers being sought to help promote the military across the digital world.
There will be six more posts available soon, open to both regulars and full-time reservists. Use of social media channels like Twitch – which is widely used by the esports community – is also being overhauled. LSgt Ashley Ryan (IG, pictured right), who often introduces new games in his Paddy Plays show on the platform, said some events had yielded healthy audiences but more trials were needed.
“There is a lot of potential here,” he added.
