Black Myth: Wukong A Gaming Coup Fuels China's Tech Power

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As of 2024, China has shifted away from its aggressive“wolf warrior” diplomacy to a more cooperative approach in order to rebuild international ties. The government has also issued mandates for companies like Huawei to develop domestic chips. However, China's success in boosting semiconductor development and production using these approaches has been limited .

Historically, video games have played a significant role in driving technological innovation in the semiconductor industry. From the early days of the 8-bit Nintendo Entertainment System to the modern PlayStation 5, gaming has always pushed chipmakers to develop faster, more efficient processors and graphics processing units, or GPUs. The intense graphical requirements of modern games – high resolutions, faster frame rates and real-time rendering – demand the most advanced semiconductor technology. The development of advanced GPUs by companies like NVIDIA was directly influenced by the gaming industry's needs.

Gamers require advanced processors to enjoy Black Myth: Wukong's high-end visual and gameplay experience. Built using the state-of-the-art Unreal Engine 5 video game development tool, the game is a visual spectacle featuring lifelike graphics , seamless open-world environments and complex combat systems. The game is available for PlayStation 5 and PCs, and Game Science plans to release an Xbox version.

Black Myth: Wukong features rich visuals and intricate gameplay. Photo: courtesy of Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC

As Black Myth: Wukong sweeps across gaming platforms, it not only puts pressure on China's semiconductor makers to build more and better chips, but it also reveals the vast market potential for high-performance hardware, especially for gaming PCs equipped with powerful GPUs. The game's success showcases just how big the demand is.

Market analysts expect the Chinese video game industry to reach revenues of US$66.13 billion in 2024, compared with $78.01 billion in the U.S. Analysts predict the game will have annual sales of 30 million to 40 million copies in 2024.

China's gaming industry has surged into a global powerhouse, yet it remains dependent on foreign-made chips. Coupled with the West's restrictions on chip exports, Wukong has become a key catalyst for China's semiconductor development, and domestic companies now face growing pressure to innovate.

This pressure aligns with Beijing's broader technological ambitions. The government's“Made in China 2025” plan calls for technological self-reliance, particularly in sectors like semiconductors, where China lags behind. And advanced GPUs haven't been confined to the entertainment industry. They have become integral to advances in AI , including deep learning and autonomous systems.

Flexing China's cultural muscle

While it might seem strange to link video games with geopolitics, Black Myth: Wukong is more than just entertainment. It's a tool in China's soft power arsenal. Soft power is nations influencing each other through cultural exports . For decades, the West, particularly the US, dominated global culture through Hollywood, music and video games.