Mobile phone games are highlighted, is there an opportunity for gaming phones coming soon?

From Impact Play to Cannot Play

This week, the game masterpiece XCOM 2 began to be launched on the Android platform. The price of this game is $24.99, and its quality has reached a masterpiece level. The console version was previously launched on the PS4 and Xbox One platforms. This time, XCOM 2 COLLECTION has also been launched on the Nintendo Switch platform.

On the smartphone platform, the iOS version was released earlier than the Android version. The game introduction page specifically indicates that players need 8.5GB of free space. The minimum requirement for the model is iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8 Plus, or the second-generation iPhone SE. Older models like iPhone 7 and iPhone 8 cannot run the game due to their RAM limitations (3GB required to start the game).

For Android, the support list of XCOM 2 Collection excludes many models. Even the flagship Google Pixel 5 and Pixel 4 series have trouble running the game. The developers stated:

“If the player’s device is not on the list, and if it can be purchased when the XCOM 2 Collection is released, it means that the device can run the game, but it is not officially supported.”

From the support list, only Snapdragon 8 series models can run the game properly. Even the Pixel 3 (Snapdragon 845, launched in 2018) is on the list, proving that the Adreno GPU in the Snapdragon 8 series provides the strongest performance over time.

Mobile Games Widen the Performance Gap

Some previous mobile games have even become performance benchmarking tools, such as Genshin Impact and Bright Memory: Infinite. Earlier, mobile games could not fully utilize smartphone performance, but now they expose performance deficiencies. Even the Apple M1 chip experiences frame drops when running certain high-end games.

Different smartphone models show significant performance gaps when playing games. The key factors are:

Chipset Performance (CPU & GPU)
Thermal Management & Heat Dissipation
Battery Consumption & Stability

High-performance mobile games push smartphones to their limits, forcing manufacturers to focus on cooling solutions and battery optimization for better gaming performance.

The Rise of Gaming Phones

Gaming phones offer:

Advanced Cooling Mechanisms
Higher Refresh Rate Displays (144Hz and beyond)
Dedicated Shoulder Triggers for Better Controls

However, gaming phones remain a niche category compared to regular flagship smartphones. Unlike gaming laptops, which dominate the PC gaming market, gaming phones struggle to gain widespread popularity.

According to Canalys, the gaming mobile phone market share shows an interesting trend:

Redmi K Series – 23% market share
Realme X Series – 20%
Other Flagship Phones – 19%
Black Shark – 4th place
Red Magic – 5th place
ROG Gaming Phone – 7th place
Lenovo Legion – 9th place (3% market share)

Surprisingly, Redmi and Realme dominate the market, even though they are not pure gaming brands. This raises the question: Are gaming phones necessary?

Is There a Future for Gaming Phones?

The biggest challenge for gaming phones is their trade-off between gaming performance and daily usability.

Problems with Gaming Phones:

Bulky and heavy design makes them uncomfortable for daily use.
Higher power consumption leads to shorter battery life.
Non-standard designs (compared to sleek flagship smartphones).

As a result, many gamers prefer flagship smartphones over dedicated gaming phones. Flagships like the Samsung Galaxy S series or iPhones can run all games smoothly, and external cooling accessories solve heating issues.

A China Mobile Terminal Lab report concluded that Huawei Mate40 Pro offered the best gaming experience, even surpassing dedicated gaming phones like ASUS ROG Phone 3.

The Threat of Cloud Gaming

Cloud gaming platforms like Tencent START, GeForce Now, and Xbox Cloud Gaming could eliminate the need for high-performance gaming phones. Once cloud gaming matures, any smartphone with a strong internet connection will be able to run AAA titles effortlessly.

Gaming Devices: The OneXplayer Mini Pro

A powerful alternative to Nintendo Switch and Steam Deck, the OneXplayer Mini Pro delivers portable PC gaming performance.

Gaming Mobile Phones vs. OneXplayer: Which is Better?

Gaming Mobile Phones – Pros & Cons

✅ Pros:

Designed with gaming-specific features (triggers, high refresh rate).
Powerful hardware for smooth performance.
Longer battery life than standard smartphones.

❌ Cons:

Expensive compared to standard flagship phones.
Bulky and heavy, making them uncomfortable for everyday use.
Not always compatible with the latest games.

OneXplayer – Pros & Cons