O Snapdragon G3x Portable Developer Kit It is a portable gaming platform with dedicated buttons and controllers that was created by Qualcomm and Razer and is only available to developers.
This is not a new concept, but unlike previous smartphone-based gaming devices, the Snapdragon G3x Handheld does not work as a phone.
However, the Snapdragon G3x Handheld has many phone-specific features: a 6.65-inch Full HD Plus OLED screen with 10-bit HDR and a 120Hz refresh rate, a 5MP 1080p webcam, and an Android OS , all inherited from phones.
Plus, it features mobile connectivity, allowing gamers to take the console anywhere and play games anywhere they can with a phone.
While we don’t have much information about the Snapdragon G3x Gen 1 chipset that powers the G3x Handheld, the company claims that the chip will increase advanced haptic response and other extras, which should elevate the gaming experience on the console above the feeling of gaming on a phone.
Your Adreno GPU will also have upgradable drivers, And while Qualcomm’s leading chips have been able to download updates from the Play Store for their Adreno GPUs since last year, this has required manufacturers to customize and release updates for their devices. A mobile game console maker could come up with these updates more quickly.
Hardware is better suited for gaming too, from the control handles, buttons and thumbsticks to the air-cooling system that pulls in cool air from the back of the console and expels hot air from the back.
Most importantly, it also has a USB-C port on top to produce 4K HDR and up to 144 Hz for a television or monitor, allowing you to play on a big screen in “dock” mode like the Nintendo Switch, but trumping that console at 4K.
The port may also provide an “XR viewer” (like augmented reality glasses), which Qualcomm believes will take off in the next few years.
The G3x Handheld also has 4-way speakers, a 1080p webcam for streaming, and microphones in the center and top of the device. At least one of the versions also connects to 5G sub-6 and mmWave networks, allowing for the fastest possible mobile gaming, along with WiFi 6E.
What makes the console stand out from other peripherals is the software provided by AKSys Games Localization, which automatically maps onscreen controls to buttons and thumbsticks.
If you’ve played with gaming peripherals for phones before, you know how tricky this is: no matter how clever your controller design is, it’s no use if you can’t get the button presses to sync with the touch controls on the controller.
