Get updates delivered to you daily. Free and customizable.
Windows Central
Just FYI, your 'Genshin Impact' pulls are funding a tokamak nuclear fusion reactor, and it has now been ignited 🔥
By Jez Corden,
2024-06-22
What you need to know
Genshin Impact is one of the most popular PC games in the world.
A free-to-play "gatcha" game, Genshin Impact allows players to collect dozens of anime-styled heroes and is frequently updated with large story beats and new areas.
Developer MiHoYo invested $65 million dollars into nuclear fusion technology a couple of years ago.
The fruits of those labors are now being realized, as MiHoYo's very own tokamak fusion reactor has been ignited.
Tokamak fusion reactors are widely regarded as the holy grail of energy generation. If perfected, the technology could provide "infinite" power generation without harmful byproducts like carbon emissions.
A couple of years ago, Daniel Ahmad of Niko Partners reported that MiHoYo of Genshin Impact fame had invested $65 million into the ultimate clean energy project. And now, the investment has begun bearing fruit.
Genshin Impact is one of the most popular PC games in the entire world. A free-to-play "gatcha" game, players can collect dozens of anime-styled heroes, earning in-game currency by playing or purchasing for chances to unlock them. Genshin Impact's popularity stems from its live service, which is frequently updated with large, high-quality story content patches, on top of new playable areas, similar to titles like World of Warcraft and the like. Unlike World of Warcraft, though, Genshin Impact is using some of its profits to fund nuclear fusion technology.
Widely regarded as the "holy grail" of energy generation, tokamak fusion reactors use massive donut-shaped magnets to super-heat plasma (10 times hotter than the center of the sun, in fact), in order to recreate sun-like fusion reactions. The heat generated is then absorbed by the tokamak, and then used to power a turbine, leaving only steam as a byproduct. MiHoYo's very own tokamak fusion reactor has now been activated.
See more
MiHoYo's fusion reactor is in partnership with Shanghai-based Energy Singularity, and according to local news reports, the tokamak is now generating plasma reactions for the first time.
As of writing, tokamak fusion reactors have generally not been commercially viable. Right now, they require more energy to power than you yield in return, which is obviously not the goal. However, the technology is gradually getting better. Various companies across the world are collaborating to make the technology a reality, given that it would eliminate global fuel poverty, carbon emissions, and solve humanity's energy needs in perpetuity, if perfected. The UK's Tokamak Energy company recently achieved a plasma temperature of 100 million Celsius, which is the threshold for commercializing the technology and represents a world-first for an independent fusion company. China, America, and France are all heavy investors in researching the technology as well.
For companies like MiHoYo, and indeed Microsoft, who use mountains of cloud compute to power their operations, sustainable energy generation efforts like this are becoming increasingly interesting.
Tokamak fusion reactors would solve Azure's energy needs over night, if it was perfected, although there's no evidence right now that Microsoft is actively exploring this kind of technology for its own needs. Perhaps MiHoYo can show them the way?
Genshin Impact (free)
Collect dozens of anime-styled super heroes in this wildly popular action RPG. Save the world in-game, and maybe in real life too, with proceeds being invested in fusion reactor technology.
Get updates delivered to you daily. Free and customizable.
Welcome to NewsBreak, an open platform where diverse perspectives converge. Most of our content comes from established publications and journalists, as well as from our extensive network of tens of thousands of creators who contribute to our platform. We empower individuals to share insightful viewpoints through short posts and comments. It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency: our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. We strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation. Join us in shaping the news narrative together.
Comments / 0