Qualcomm has announced a new chip called the Snapdragon G3x, which has been designed specifically for handheld gaming devices rather than smartphones.
Razer has teamed up with Qualcomm to create a concept device and developer kit that houses the Snapdragon G3x chip. This device unfortunately won’t be commercially available, but instead shows what kind of form factor the new chip can work in tandem with.
The Razer concept device features two analogue sticks, a D-Pad, four front-facing buttons, two shoulder buttons and two triggers – it essentially looks like a compact, portable Xbox.
Other features on the Razer portable include a 6.65-inch Full HD OLED screen with a 120hz refresh rate, a huge 6000mAh battery, a 1080p webcam and 4-way speakers.
Devices that feature the Snapdragon G3x will be able run Android games natively thanks to the Adreno GPU, with the performance climbing as high as 1080p at 144Hz. The Qualcomm chip also offers the capability to stream games via cloud services such as Xbox Game Pass, Google Stadia and Nvidia GeForce Now.
The Snapdragon G3x chip also supports a slew of important gaming features including Wi-Fi 6E and 5G mmWave, Snapdragon Sound Technology to reduce audio latency with compatible wireless headphones and the ability to output to an external display via USB-C – similar to the Nintendo Switch, but with a 4K resolution.
Qualcomm unfortunately does not have any news on when the first Snapdragon G3x device will hit stores. However, Razer’s Gaming Developer Kit is available exclusively for developers from today, so Qualcomm seems keen to encourage third-party manufacturers to develop new gaming portables for the processor.
Razer’s co-founder and CEO Min-Liang Tan said, “Together, Qualcomm Technologies and Razer will lead the way with new and innovative solutions that push the boundaries of fidelity and quality available in portable gaming, transforming the way these games are experienced.”
Keep an eye on Trusted Reviews for updates on the Snapdragon G3x, as it’s likely we’ll see some new handheld gaming devices launch with the chip in 2022 or beyond.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
