According to Cointelegraph, Christian Thompson, the chief information security officer at Mysten Labs, emphasized the significance of gaming as a sandbox for exploring various technologies at the Future Blockchain Summit in Dubai on Oct. 14. Mysten Labs, a primary contributor to the Sui Foundation, is leveraging gaming to delve into the Web3 space, which integrates artificial intelligence, decentralized finance (DeFi), and non-fungible tokens (NFTs).

Thompson highlighted that gaming offers Mysten Labs an experimental platform to apply these technologies. He stated, “Gaming isn’t just about gaming for us. It is really this idea that we get this sandbox and be able to explore all of the avenues of technology.” This approach is exemplified by their upcoming hardware gaming device, “SuiPlay0X1,” which was announced on Sept. 3 and is expected to be delivered in the first half of 2025. The device aims to enable users to play games built on the Sui blockchain and on PC, facilitating interaction with AI, DeFi, and NFTs.

Thompson explained that the SuiPlay0X1 represents Mysten Labs’ initial foray into hardware for gaming and Web3, providing users with a dynamic interaction with emerging technologies. He noted that the focus on hardware is intended to simplify user engagement with Web3 technology.

A survey by Web3 gaming protocol Elympics identified the complexity of crypto wallets as a significant barrier preventing gamers from trying Web3 games, with over 10% of participants citing this as the primary reason. Thompson acknowledged that the historical user experience of onboarding gamers into Web3 systems has been challenging. However, he shared that Mysten Labs is working on improving this experience by developing a method for users to obtain a wallet using their Facebook or Google accounts with a single click. He expressed optimism that the user experience will continue to improve over time, although there is still progress to be made.