Qualcomm unveils the Snapdragon 730G: a cheaper chip for gaming phones

Almost every smartphone from the last few years can handle basic games from their respective app stores, but for Fortnite fanatics, gaming handsets have been the most appealing option.

For 2018’s gaming phones like the Asus ROG Phone, the Razer Phone 2 and the Xiaomi Black Shark 2, this meant using Qualcomm’s top-end Snapdragon 845 chip, but now the company has something cheaper in mind for mid-range handsets that want better gaming performance.

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It’s called the Snapdragon 730G: a 8nm chip with an overclocked Adreno 618 GPU, with support for features like WiFi latency manager and HDR, which are popular with gamers. Performance wise, we’re promised a 35% improvement in CPU performance over the Snapdragon 710 (last seen powering the Nokia 8.1 and Oppo RX17 Pro) with a 25% boost in graphical output.

Of course, gaming performance is only as good as the games makers allow, and Qualcomm says that it’s already working with some top developers to optimise performance on the new chip.

On top of this, Qualcomm says that the processor will support mobile displays of up to 3360 x 1440 resolution, and will offer 10-bit colour HDR output meaning that handset providers don’t have to scrimp on sharpness.

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There’s no guarantee this will make Snapdragon 730G-powered phones gaming powerhouses, of course. We’ll have to wait until the first handsets powered by the chip arrive in our office for a full and thorough testing. But not every gamer has a huge phone budget, so it seems significant that Qualcomm has recognised this, and not abandoned those with more shallow pockets.

Does it sound like Qualcomm’s mid-range gaming chip is on the right track, or would you only settle for top-end? Let us know on Twitter: @TrustedReviews.