Online gaming has redefined the way players experience their favorite video games, from enhancing access to global titles to providing convenience through cross-platform gameplay.
However, online gamers tend to struggle with the frequency and severity of server downtimes.
A Forbes article reports that gaming services report the highest instances of downtime more than any other industry, with gaming servers like Sony’s PlayStation Network and Microsoft’s Xbox Live having the most outages.
Through the deployment of its DownDetector, the website automation tool ToolTester found that online gamers experienced a total average of 193 outages and issues over the 12-month study period.
These issues range from trouble logging into their user accounts to being unable to access the gaming website itself.
While these instances can cause frustrations and negatively affect the overall gaming experience, online players fortunately have the option to use mirror sites to maintain access to gaming applications, resources, and multimedia content.
Below, we discuss what a mirror site does and how it can be used when encountering online gaming issues, whether for multiplayer games or online casinos.
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What Is A Mirror Site?
A mirror site is an exact copy of a website designed to ensure that its content, resources, and updates remain available and accessible at all times, especially when the main domain is down.
Essentially, a mirror site serves as a replica, except with the same content hosted on a different server and typically under a different web address.
Since mirror sites simulate the original content of online gaming websites, it’s worth noting that they differ from gaming emulators.
For example, a previous post discusses how the gaming emulator EmulatorGames.net hosts a collection of ROMs, which are digital copies of video games designed to emulate a program or gaming console, such as Nintendo 64 and GameBoy Advance.
As such, mirror sites are intended for websites, while emulators are for video game applications and consoles.
Website mirroring is also often used interchangeably with website backups. However, mirror sites are used not just for data protection and recovery but also for improved accessibility, reduced latency, and traffic management.
The following section highlights instances when and how mirror sites can be used for a smoother gaming experience.
When Can You Use Mirror Sites?
Server Downtime
As previously discussed, mirror sites can help ensure access to a main domain’s content and resources even when servers are down due to high network traffic.
In the case of online casino players, accessing Thunderpick via a mirror site under a different web address, such as Thunderpick.gl, can help players who have trouble accessing the main domain.
The mirror site works exactly the same as Thunderpick.io, so players can still log into the same account to continue participating in esports betting, sports betting, and casino games.
Alternatively, the online gaming and betting website provides the option to access the main domain by using a DNS over HTTPS (DoH).
This can be enabled through web browsers like Chrome and Firefox or the installation of Cloudflare for mobile iOS and Android users.
Server Maintenance And Updates
Servers may also be down due to ongoing maintenance and updates. For instance, the Roblox error code 403 may show up when the free-to-play platform and its related website are being updated to better meet the needs of the growing customer base of over 200 million monthly active users.
While most games have a server status page to update users when the servers become operational again, using a mirror site can reduce wait times and thus ensure the continuity and quality of the gaming experience.
Some online gamers also prefer to browse the Internet and play online with a virtual private network (VPN) for security and anonymity, and having a mirror site can eliminate the need to disable one’s VPN to use the website normally.
Blocked Website
Lastly, gamers may have trouble accessing blocked online gaming websites due to their location.
Some governments may restrict access to gaming servers and virtual casinos with regulations on website blocking and content filtering.
In this case, mirror sites can be hosted on different servers spread across countries and continents to ensure fast loading speeds and reduce the risk of server crashes and high latency.
The mirror site will then use a different country-code level top domain but generally provides greater speed and accessibility since the server is local or nearer than the original one.
In summary, online gamers can use mirror sites with a different domain and/or URL to continue accessing multiplayer games and virtual casinos even when servers are down, are being updated, or are blocked.
However, gamers must be aware of online scams, as a study by cybersecurity solutions company Memcyco found that only 6% of business websites are adequately protected from website impersonation scams that can compromise users’ personal information and login credentials. It is hence advisable to only use the mirror sites authorized by gaming platforms on their main websites.
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