Qualcomm unveiled its latest line of chips this week, designed to power the next generation of handheld gaming devices.
While some outlets have reported that its chip is designed for handheld PC gaming, akin to AMD and Intel's presence in the Asus ROG Ally and MSI Claw 8 AI+, respectively, that's not exactly true. These chips are designed for Android.
Qualcomm's announcement on Monday explicitly stated that each of these chips is designed for Android handheld gaming devices, including the Snapdragon G3 Gen 3, Snapdragon G2 Gen 2, and Snapdragon G1 Gen 2. Depending on how you intend to game, each chip is for a different type of device.
That would be fine, save for one tiny issue: Android is losing a war against Apple, and handheld gaming devices are suffering as a result.
Mobile gaming has a "console wars" problem
Mobile gaming not only has a lack of game ports, but a notable exclusivity war that's brewing as a result of Apple's efforts.
iOS and iPadOS have never been a stranger to exclusive applications, but it has begun normalizing exclusive ports of PC and console games onto Apple devices. These include Resident Evil 3 (and Resident Evil 2, 4, 7, and Village), Death Stranding Director's Cut, Assassin's Creed Mirage, and more.
Many of these games (excluding Death Stranding) are available on Windows, Xbox consoles, and PlayStation consoles simultaneously, yet within the mobile market, there is a line being drawn in the sand on which game gets to go where, as seen with consoles.
Of course, it doesn't mean excitement about a new degree of power for Android handheld gaming devices isn't warranted, but when the market itself has companies creating barriers between the games that are available, Android's place in gaming is becoming less and less convincing — especially when handheld gaming PCs are here and offer access to more titles.
What's in the Qualcomm Snapdragon G Series chips?
Qualcomm announced three Snapdragon G Series chips: The Snapdragon G3 Gen 3, Snapdragon G2 Gen 2, and Snapdragon G1 Gen 2.
The Snapdragon G3 Gen 3 is designed for "enthusiast gaming" and features support for Lumen, which is Unreal Engine 5's dynamic global illumination and reflections system. It has an 8-core Qualcomm Kyre CPU with 1 prime, 5 performance, and 2 efficiency cores, and is powered by the Qualcomm Adreno A32 GPU with ray tracing support. In simpler terms, it boasts 30% faster processing power and 28 faster graphical power than the previous generation.
Snapdragon G2 Gen 2 is for "mainstream gaming," and is meant for a mix of dedicated and cloud gaming at up to 144 fps. It has 2.3x processing power and 3.8x graphical power upgrade compared to the previous generation.
And finally, Snapdragon G1 Gen 2 is for "cloud gaming," and as you can expect, it's intended to bring up to 1080p at 120 fps over wifi. It's reportedly 80% faster in processing and 25% faster in graphical power than the previous generation.
Android handhelds aren't ideal for gaming enthusiasts
It's no secret that Android has never been ideal for gaming. Multiplayer titles like Genshin Impact, Honkai: Star Rail and Fortnite do well on the platform, but those interested in mainstream AAA games are blocked by a limited library. Even then, games like Alien: Isolation still make it on there.
Comparatively, Apple is positively kicking Android's butt in this department, with aforementioned titles like the Resident Evil series, Death Stranding, and new Assassin's Creed games available to play on iPhone.
Plain and simple: Android's lack of ports makes dedicated handhelds utilizing the platform far less enticing, especially when Windows gaming handhelds have nearly everything available to play.
So sure, Qualcomm might be pushing further in the handheld gaming market, but it may be backing the wrong horse in the process.
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