Playing games has always been one of the best activities in our pastimes. While it used to mean playing board games, solving puzzles, and going to the arcade, today, the meaning of ‘playing games’ has drastically changed. It can be as complicated as a tournament with a dedicated venue and prizes, or it can be as simple as clicking on an app on your phone.
Whatever your preference is though, you must have the right gears as you play to get the maximum fun out of it. With mobile games trending and the release of many video games’ mobile versions, investing in a good gaming phone might be a wise choice. Besides the lower price point, its portability makes sure you never have to miss a single daily quest ever again and get all the rewards you know you deserve.
Having said that, with the many kinds of phones available on the market, finding the most suitable one for gaming can be confusing and rather time-consuming. For that reason, here we have concluded some specifications you need to consider before you buy your new gaming phone. So, let’s check them out!
The processor (or professor?)
To put it simply, your phone’s processor (also known as the chipset) is the brain of the operation, your phone’s system. It takes care of everything happening on your phone. So, whether it is pulling out that one picture from last summer or typing and deleting a text you’re sending to your crush, your processor should get all the credits.
As it is at the center of everything, choosing the right chipset for your gaming phone is critical. Choosing the newest line of processors such as the Snapdragon 8 series, Dimensity 9000, or even A15 Bionic is ideal. However, it might not be the best case if you’re on a budget. Instead, what you can do is choose phones with midrange chipsets, such as Snapdragon 6 or 7 series and Dimensity 500.
The cold never bothers it anyway (it actually helps them)
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The more you play on your phone, the harder your chipset will work. Think of it as your brain on an exam or The Professor as he’s trying to deal with crises on his heist. In the same nature as an exam and a heist, it is quite a bother to stop in the middle of your game because your brain is tired (or in your phone’s case, gets too hot).
Thankfully, due to the ever-advancing technology, this is not something you need to worry about. Within today’s latest smartphones, an equally supportive cooling system is already installed to keep up with your processor’s heavy workload. But, if you’re thinking of making a career out of mobile gaming, you might benefit from buying a third-party clip-on fan for your phone.
Meet the 3Rs: resolution, refresh rate, and rate of touch sampling
While most phones these days are already equipped with an OLED or AMOLED display, the resolution is something that you need to pay attention to. If you’re looking for a crisper graphic, then you can opt for a 1440p resolution. Generally, a 1080p smartphone should be enough to accommodate your gaming needs.
Furthermore, a 90 or 120Hz refresh rate is typically ideal for gaming. More importantly, as your phone’s touch sampling rate will determine how fast your phone reacts to your touch on the screen, you will need at least 180Hz sample rates.
Battery equals victory
Unlike playing games on a PC, when you use phones for gaming, there are times when electricity won’t be easily acquired. Thus, it is important for you to buy a phone with at least 4500mAH battery capacity. Moreover, a fast-charging feature with a minimum of 18W is preferred for maximum convenience.
Give it space
In the case of memory and storage, the more is most definitely the better. This is because downloading your games’ app alone sometimes can take more than 1GB. Not to mention the updates required, which would also take up more space in your storage.
The same applies to your phone’s memory or RAM. The bigger it is, the more games and applications that you can open at the same time. Generally, going for a phone with 6GB memory is good, but if you have the means to go for 8GB, then it’d be better.
All in all, the most important thing to consider when buying a new phone is your needs and budget. Make sure to do your research thoroughly, and happy gaming!