Garmin might be best known for its running watches and sat-navs, but now it's branching out into gaming with a new fitness tracker designed specifically with esports in mind. The Garmin Instinct Esports Edition is intended to help you optimize your habits for better performance, and to give your audience an insight into your biometrics when you're streaming.
Garmin has developed a new tool, STR3AMUP, which streams data from your watch to your audience so you play, including your heart rate and stress level. There's also sleep tracking so you can check you're getting enough rest, plus a dedicated game timer so you can keep an eye on how long you've been playing and plan your breaks.
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Your data will sync automatically with the Garmin Connect app, where you can see the effects of your habits on your performance, and see how your body reacts in different circumstances.
“Players can also use Instinct’s data to make adjustments in their daily lives, whether it be altering sleep patterns or activity levels, which can result in increased cognitive and physical performance during play," says Garmin's vice president of sales Dan Bartel.
The Instinct Esports Edition has the same rugged design as the rest of the Instinct line, with a black-and-white memory in pixel display to conserve power. Garmin quotes a maximum battery life of three days in esports mode, and up to two weeks in smartwatch mode (which gives you access to email, text and app alerts on your wrist).
Take a screen break
As you'd expect from a Garmin watch, the Instinct Esports Edition also offers accurate GPS tracking for those days when you decide to take a screen break, with 30 dedicated sports modes and activity tracking. It's also compatible with chest strap heart rate monitors so you can see changes in your heart rate more quickly during training.
The Instinct Esports Edition is available to buy now direct from Garmin for £269.99 (about $350 / AU$500).
