What is amazing about "gaming smartphones"?Streamer Michelle, who is active in the mobile version of PUBG, explains
- What is a "gaming smartphone" in the first place?
- What points do you want to check in terms of performance?
- You don't have to pursue too much SoC or RAM performance
- Features of cooling method and battery capacity
- The display is packed with important features
- What are the characteristics of a typical gaming smartphone?
- "ROG Phone" boasting the highest specs
- "RED MAGIC" that wants to pay attention to the cooling function
- "Black Shark" with good cost performance
What is a "gaming smartphone" in the first place?
──Please tell us what a "gaming smartphone" is.
So far, I don't think the word is strictly defined. In addition to the high specifications of the smartphone itself, Android smartphones that tune hardware to special specifications for games and are equipped with functions useful for games are called "gaming smartphones" by brand makers. There are many.
──It seems that there are cases where you misunderstand that "gaming smartphone" = "smartphone that can only be used for games".
I don't know if it's because of the name of the gaming smartphone or because of the appearance of the gaming smartphone, but I sometimes see people who misunderstand that it is a smartphone that can only be used for games. I think that some people operate it as a dedicated game machine, but it can also be used as a smartphone for everyday use without any problems.
──One of the functions often used on smartphones is the camera function. Gaming smartphones may not be focusing on the camera? But what about the reality?
Models equipped with a triple camera, including an ultra-wide-angle camera and a camera for macro photography, have also appeared, and can be used normally without any problems.
──What is a typical gaming smartphone?
Typical examples are ASUS's "ROG Phone" series, ZTE's Nubia Technology's "RED MAGIC" series, and Xiomi's Black Shark's "Black Shark" series. As you can see, most gaming smartphones are sold by overseas brands and manufacturers.
──Are Japanese brand makers not selling gaming smartphones?
At present, there is no product that Japanese manufacturers call gaming smartphones. However, some high-end smartphones in Sony's "Xperia", Sharp's "AQUOS" series, and FCNT's "arrows" series are equipped with game features. It's safe to say that they are like gaming smartphones.
──What exactly are the tunings and functions for games that you mentioned?
It depends on the manufacturer and model.
During gameplay, you can get the most out of your smartphone, adjust the video to make it easier to identify enemies, and provide buttons and touchpads on the sides and back of the main unit. These features are also the points of the model, so I would like to compare them often when considering purchasing.
──Is the function that allows you to operate the game other than the display equivalent to hardware cheat?
For details, there is no choice but to check the terms of each title, but it seems that it is often regarded as a hardware cheat in shooting games such as FPS. The only exceptions are RPGs and racing games.
──Is it possible to use a gaming smartphone equipped with such a function at a competition?
Depending on the tournament, the smartphone model may be specified, so not all tournaments can use your smartphone.
In the case where it can be used, when I participated in the "PUBG MOBILE" world competition, I promised that "I will use a gaming smartphone, but I will not use such a function."
──It seems that the price of gaming smartphones is high when the specifications are high and it also has such dedicated functions.
Most of them are expensive models. However, there are some products that keep the price down by devising ways to keep other performance modest while ensuring the specifications for playing the game comfortably.
──Is a gaming smartphone suitable for any game?
It's good, but its importance depends on the genre. In game genres such as FPS and TPS, where victory or defeat is decided in an instant, stable operation and the attractiveness of dedicated functions can be fully demonstrated due to the high specifications of gaming smartphones.
On the other hand, in genres such as card games where there are few scenes that require instantaneous power, the reason for using a gaming smartphone seems to be a little diminished. Still, it's not meaningless because you should be able to benefit from the high touch sampling rate (* details will be described later).
──Comparing gaming smartphones and iPhones, which one is more suitable for games?
I also use an iPhone, but I'm worried about the heat exhaust and cooling performance. After playing the game for a while, the heat often makes the tap unresponsive. Such a one-tap mistake is fatal in FPS etc., so if you play games, gaming smartphones are more suitable.
What points do you want to check in terms of performance?
You don't have to pursue too much SoC or RAM performance
──How much SoC (*) and RAM performance do you need to comfortably play today's smartphone games, such as FPS / TPS?
In my experience, if the SoC is a model equipped with "Snapdragon 865" or higher and the RAM is about "8GB", you can comfortably play the current smartphone game. Since the gaming smartphone around the year before last had such specifications, it seems that the current model with further improved performance does not have to worry about the performance of SoC and RAM so much.
* SoC (System on a Chip): A semiconductor chip that contains parts and functions necessary for system operation such as CPU and GPU. Qualcomm's "Snapdragon" is often used in gaming smartphones.
──I think the most high-spec combination of Android smartphones released as of January 2022 is the SoC "Snapdragon 888+" + RAM "16GB" of the "RED MAGIC 6S Pro" and "ROG Phone 5s". How much difference will it make in terms of playability compared to smartphones with SoC "Snapdragon 865" + RAM "8GB"?
When using multiple heavy-duty apps (such as distribution apps) at the same time, including games, the higher the performance of the SoC and RAM, the easier it feels to be stable. The difficulty of equipment troubles leads to peace of mind, and you will be able to fight without worrying about the competition.
Features of cooling method and battery capacity
──I'm worried that it's easy to generate heat if you have a high-performance SoC.
If the heat builds up, the operation of the game will not be stable and it will tend to be stiff, and in the end it may be forcibly terminated. For that reason, most gaming smartphones emphasize cooling performance. One of the major features of gaming smartphones is that they have good measures against heat generation during game play.
──Are all the cooling methods the same?
From models that have an air-cooling fan as an accessory to those that have a built-in air-cooling fan or liquid cooling system in the smartphone, we are dealing with the heat generation problem in various ways.
──If the fever problem is alleviated and resolved, it will have a positive effect not only on games but also on smartphones.
With an excellent cooling system, it may be possible to prevent the temperature of the gaming smartphone from rising too high, that is, to maintain a healthy state, and to extend the service life. In my case, I still use the gaming smartphone I bought in 2019 as a sub, but I don't feel much performance degradation.
──It seems that the battery will be consumed to drive the cooling method, but what about the battery capacity and operating time?
It's a simple story, but the more battery capacity you have, the better.
In my state of playing and delivering with high image quality, I feel that it consumes nearly 2000mAh per hour. Gaming smartphones have about 4000mAh, so you can play for more than 2 hours. If you do not deliver it, the operating time will be further extended, so you can withstand long hours of play.
The display is packed with important features
──I think that gaming smartphones have a high-definition display in common, but are there any other items you would like to check on the display?
Let's check the performance of "refresh rate".
The refresh rate is the number of screen updates per second, and the unit is Hz. Roughly speaking, the higher this number, the smoother the movement. Most smartphones have a refresh rate of "60Hz", and gaming smartphones have a refresh rate of "120Hz" or higher.
──As with gaming monitors, refresh rates are important for smartphones as well. How about the number of video processes per second of a smartphone game, "frame rate (unit is fps)"?
There are many smartphone games that can set a high frame rate. If you have a gaming smartphone with a high refresh rate, you can easily feel the smoothness of such high frame rate compatible titles.
──The richer the game, the more effective it will be. How about the "touch sampling rate" and "touch delay (touch reaction speed)" that you sometimes hear on the display?
Touch sampling rate and touch delay may be hard to feel the difference from non-gaming smartphones.
Touch sampling rate refers to the frequency with which a finger touches the display. The unit is Hz, and the higher the number, the more frequently it checks whether the finger touches it, which is easy to understand.
The higher the touch sampling rate, the easier it is to prevent situations where the judgment is not made while swiping or the tap is not recognized.
──How much difference does the touch sampling rate value have between ordinary smartphones and gaming smartphones?
Some gaming smartphones claim a maximum of 720Hz during multi-touch. On the other hand, if you are a non-gaming smartphone, you will not see a model that announces the touch sampling rate, but you should not get such a high number.
However, the touch sampling rate of gaming smartphones seems to be over-engineered, and I feel that the number of people who can realize the high value is very limited.
──Please tell us about touch delay.
Touch delay refers to the time from touch to the response of the smartphone, and is expressed in "ms (milliseconds)". "ROG Phone 5s" has announced 24.3ms and "Black Shark 4" has announced 8.3ms, but some gaming smartphones have not announced the figures. It seems that there is a difference in the numbers, but as I mentioned earlier, it is difficult to understand the difference in experience.
──It seems that you don't have to check the touch sampling rate and touch delay so strictly.
What are the characteristics of a typical gaming smartphone?
"ROG Phone" boasting the highest specs
──I would like to ask about the characteristics of typical gaming smartphones. First of all, please tell us the features of the "ROG Phone" series.
The "ROG Phone" series is characterized by its pursuit of performance, with a large display size and a large battery capacity. Recommended for those who want the best performance of their smartphones.
It is also a good point that the external connection terminal of USB Type-C is on the side instead of the bottom of the smartphone body.
──What are the benefits of having the connection terminals on the side?
When I play a game where the smartphone is turned sideways using the smartphone with the connection terminal at the bottom, for example, FPS, the connection terminal is blocked by hand. Since the connection terminal connects to charging devices, earphones, capture boards, etc., it is difficult to play while connecting such devices.
In particular, distributors tend to have a lot of equipment to connect to their smartphones, so if you introduce the "ROG Phone" series, which has a devised connection terminal arrangement, you will be able to play while distributing comfortably.
──Are there any weaknesses?
It is the heaviest of all gaming smartphones, and the "ROG Phone 5s" weighs 238g. Also, you may think that the price is high. The price is about 120,000 yen for the RAM 16GB model of "ROG Phone 5s" and about 100,000 yen for the RAM 12GB model, so I think it's hard to buy easily.
"RED MAGIC" that wants to pay attention to the cooling function
──I feel that the "RED MAGIC" series is unfamiliar in Japan.
Since it has only recently begun to be released in Japan, it seems that the popularity of the "RED MAGIC" series is still low.
One of the features of the product is that it focuses on the cooling performance of the gaming smartphone alone. Other gaming smartphones have a dedicated fan, but if you install it, it will be heavy and difficult to hold.
The "RED MAGIC" series is a good choice if you want to operate your gaming smartphone simply.
──It seems that the performance is also high.
Comparing "ROG Phone 5s" and "RED MAGIC 6S PRO", the storage capacity and battery capacity are one step away, but the others are comparable. I don't know if it should be said that much, but the price is a little low (about 100,000 yen for the RAM 16GB model, about 80,000 yen for the RAM 12GB model). If you want cheapness, I would like to choose this.
"Black Shark" with good cost performance
──How about the "Black Shark" series?
The "Black Shark" series is currently available only for "Black Shark 4" in Japan, so I will talk about "Black Shark 4". It was released with the concept of delivering gaming smartphones to as many people as possible, and is kept at a reasonable price of about 60,000 yen.
──It's a lot cheaper than the other two models. Does that mean there is a difference in performance?
The SoC is "Snapdragon 870", the storage is 128GB, and the RAM is 8GB, which is relatively high performance, but it looks unsatisfactory compared to the other two models. However, the refresh rate is as high as 144Hz, and the cooling method is water-cooled.
In addition, the camera performance is also modest, which has nothing to do with the game, and the specifications are sharpened to keep the price down. As I mentioned earlier, if you have this level of performance, you will not be dissatisfied with the gameplay, so it is a recommended model for those who want to experience gaming smartphones for the first time with an emphasis on cost performance.