# Hands on with my first gaming phone - a week with the Red Magic 5S



## Stealphie (Oct 18, 2020)

Cool phone, but honestly, outside of emulation, It would just be better to get a Switch, 3DS, Vita, Etc. I don't know what the price of the phone is, but i'm *pretty* sure it's more expensive then all of these. Nice post though!


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## Oakmontowls (Oct 18, 2020)

Honestly the price isn't bad for what phones are going for now days, the lower end model is $570 USD which is about half of the flagship phones on the market. The higher end models are sold out so I can't check the prices but I can't imagine they are too much higher. I'm thinking about getting this as a future general use phone just because of the price compared to the specs.

Edit: I was looking at the RedMagic 5G model which is slightly cheaper, the redMagic 5s is $579 and $649 USD
https://na.redmagic.gg/products/red-magic-5s


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## KiiWii (Oct 18, 2020)

Very nice!


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## Xzi (Oct 18, 2020)

Oakmontowls said:


> Honestly the price isn't bad for what phones are going for now days, the lower end model is $570 USD which is about half of the flagship phones on the market. The higher end models are sold out so I can't check the prices but I can't imagine they are too much higher. I'm thinking about getting this as a future general use phone just because of the price compared to the specs.
> 
> Edit: I was looking at the RedMagic 5G model which is slightly cheaper, the redMagic 5s is $579 and $649 USD
> https://na.redmagic.gg/products/red-magic-5s


That is relatively cheap for a brand new phone, but it's still enough to potentially buy a PS5 + Demon's Souls instead.  I can't help but feel 2020 is a bad year to be releasing mobile gaming devices, what with people not traveling around near as much (even locally).


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## Chrisssj2 (Oct 18, 2020)

Never. Ever. ever. will I buy a 5G product.


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## raxadian (Oct 18, 2020)

Didn't people used to buy the Samsung Galaxy phones as gaming phones?


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## xdarkx (Oct 18, 2020)

The back looks cool, but gaming phone still sounds so weird.


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## limpbiz411 (Oct 18, 2020)

thats not a gaming phone. A gaming phone has built in controls like the *moqi i7s or sony xperia play. Can they please stop labeling tablets and phones gaming devices if their are no built in controls.*


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## Minox (Oct 18, 2020)

That is one ugly phone. You will never catch me using one like that, ever.


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## JavaScribe (Oct 18, 2020)

I've seen supercars styled more subtly than that phone.

I will never _quite_ understand gaming phones.


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## PalindromicBreadLoaf (Oct 18, 2020)

Chrisssj2 said:


> Never. Ever. ever. will I buy a 5G product.


Umm.... why?


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## Chary (Oct 18, 2020)

When I was actually looking at going over to Android after being disappointed by Apple for the final time, I was actually looking at the Red Magic. I think it's a pretty cool phone, and it has some great specs for the price, but after playing around with a Galaxy S20+, I can't imagine using any other phone, honestly.


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## lemonmaster (Oct 18, 2020)

limpbiz411 said:


> thats not a gaming phone. A gaming phone has built in controls like the *moqi i7s or sony xperia play. Can they please stop labeling tablets and phones gaming devices if their are no built in controls.*


It literally has shoulder buttons


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## limpbiz411 (Oct 18, 2020)

lemonmaster said:


> It literally has shoulder buttons


and? ohh shoulder buttons that's it? yeah still not a "gaming device" just a device to game on.


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## Oakmontowls (Oct 18, 2020)

limpbiz411 said:


> and? ohh shoulder buttons that's it? yeah still not a "gaming device" just a device to game on.


I think you missed the controller accessory that they also sell for the phone, not exactly ideal but it gives you options if you want to just play using a touchscreen.
https://na.redmagic.gg/products/pro-handle-for-red-magic-5g


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## PatrickD85 (Oct 18, 2020)

You did hear yourself right? Gaming phone ... that will never be taken seriously.
Thats is why there are handhelds. Which offer way more game wise (beside emulation)


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## Axido (Oct 18, 2020)

Oakmontowls said:


> I think you missed the controller accessory that they also sell for the phone, not exactly ideal but it gives you options if you want to just play using a touchscreen.
> https://na.redmagic.gg/products/pro-handle-for-red-magic-5g



If that accessory (sold seperately) is turning the phone into a gaming phone, you can call pretty much any other phone a gaming phone as long as it has decent performance. I got multiple of those phone controllers and none of them made me use my phone for gaming the way I'd use a handheld console. Instead, they just collect dust.


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## Bladexdsl (Oct 18, 2020)

"gaming" phone


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## MaskedMarvel (Oct 18, 2020)

Looks cool.. But then it starts running really slow for no reason within a year because it's an andriod phone..


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## Deleted member 323844 (Oct 18, 2020)

The gaming space is a carbon copy of Xiaomi's Shark Space.


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## Henx (Oct 18, 2020)

I see where this discussion is going. What is the red magic pro handle compatibility with other phones? If it only works with this one, then I guess you can call it a gaming phone.


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## Scarlet (Oct 18, 2020)

Henx said:


> I see where this discussion is going. What is the red magic pro handle compatibility with other phones? If it only works with this one, then I guess you can call it a gaming phone.


I did briefly mention it in the post but while you're not in the gaming mode, they work as normal Bluetooth controllers. You'd just need to find or design your own phone case with rails for them. Your only issue would be finding apps that properly support using two controllers, like Dolphin does.


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## Henx (Oct 18, 2020)

Scarlet said:


> I did briefly mention it in the post but while you're not in the gaming mode, they work as normal Bluetooth controllers. You'd just need to find or design your own phone case with rails for them. Your only issue would be finding apps that properly support using two controllers, like Dolphin does.



I didn't realise they made them with rails, which is cool. It would be great if somebody made adapters to use with other phones. Once, I bought a FlyDigi controller, but the excitement faded off pretty quickly. Controls aren't tight and lack precision. The buttons also feel plasticky with a non-satisfying click. For this reason I am always on the lookout for a proper attachment controller.
The software side of things evolves pretty quickly, hence I wonder if the adapters will ever happen, because the former I believe it will at some point.


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## kristianity77 (Oct 18, 2020)

I have a phone now purely for a gaming device and I absolutely love it.  Paired it with a telescopic Bluetooth controller and configured the phone to boot straight into a gaming front end on power up and it connects straight to the controller.  

Phone is a black shark 2 pro which is a snapdragon 855 plus but it powers through anything emulation wise.


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## ChaosEternal (Oct 18, 2020)

Imagine buying a phone to play a gacha game. And I'm saying this as a guy who has spent hundreds of hours and more money than I'd care to admit on such games. (Also, 0.6% rates? From the perspective of the gacha system, it isn't even a good one!)


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## Scarlet (Oct 18, 2020)

ChaosEternal said:


> Imagine buying a phone to play a gacha game. And I'm saying this as a guy who has spent hundreds of hours and more money than I'd care to admit on such games. (Also, 0.6% rates? From the perspective of the gacha system, it isn't even a good one!)


Sure if you judge a gacha game solely on its rates. Personally, the gacha stuff feels like an add-on more than the focus. Compared to a game like Fire Emblem Heroes where you need a constant influx of new heroes to keep playing and stay competitive, with Genshin I feel like I can focus on my current party with no real detriment. 

But that's just me. I did get it also because I wanted to play stuff like the mobile Disgaea port well, as well as emulators, but hey, I also get that things like that aren't decision makers for everybody.


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## ChaosEternal (Oct 18, 2020)

Scarlet said:


> Sure if you judge a gacha game solely on its rates. Personally, the gacha stuff feels like an add-on more than the focus. Compared to a game like Fire Emblem Heroes where you need a constant influx of new heroes to keep playing and stay competitive, with Genshin I feel like I can focus on my current party with no real detriment.
> 
> But that's just me. I did get it also because I wanted to play stuff like the mobile Disgaea port well, as well as emulators, but hey, I also get that things like that aren't decision makers for everybody.


That's fair, but in that case give it 6 months to a year and see if it still holds up. A gacha game lives and dies on its content and it remains to be seen if they can keep it coming fast enough with a 3D game world. Alternatively, there are also games like FGO and Dokkan Battle which are extremely F2P friendly despite having heavily-integrated gacha mechanics. I play Dokkan personally and I'm still using numerous 4-5 year old cards. (Iirc from my friends who play FEH, there are cards which have been top-tier for literal years, so it doesn't sound like it has much churn either.)


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## Scarlet (Oct 18, 2020)

ChaosEternal said:


> That's fair I suppose, but in that case give it 6 months to a year and see if it still holds up. A gacha game lives and dies on its content and it remains to be seen if they can keep it coming fast enough with a 3D game world. Alternatively, there are also games like FGO and Dokkan Battle which are extremely F2P friendly despite having heavily-integrated gacha mechanics. (Although iirc from my friends who play FEH, there are cards which have been top-tier for literal years, so it doesn't sound like it has much churn either.)


Yeah I am with you honestly. With Genshin they've outlined plans for a major update every six weeks. I'm still enjoying the game now, so the longevity hinges on just substantial these updates are. I keep being told Dragalia is a good free to play gacha too, but I've never managed to get into it myself.


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## ChaosEternal (Oct 18, 2020)

Scarlet said:


> Yeah I am with you honestly. With Genshin they've outlined plans for a major update every six weeks. I'm still enjoying the game now, so the longevity hinges on just substantial these updates are. I keep being told Dragalia is a good free to play gacha too, but I've never managed to get into it myself.


I've heard the same. I personally only play gachas based on pre-existing IPs because from my perspective, why should I play a game that uses such a predatory payment model unless I already like the characters/world? I also prefer gachas that are not only F2P friendly but also have good rates, because (again from my perspective, lol) the whole point of a gacha system is getting those characters or outfits you want. Even if you can clear all the content with free characters, the entire reason I'm playing is to get my favorites. I play Dokkan because I love Dragon Ball. Even if I could clear an event with a bunch of no-name characters, I'm playing because I want to see Gogeta smacking Broly around, Gohan going SSJ2, Jiren destroying everyone in his path. So uh... yeah. Guess that's kind of getting off-topic, but I suppose this is what happens to your brain on Gacha games.


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## raxadian (Oct 18, 2020)

PatrickD85 said:


> You did hear yourself right? Gaming phone ... that will never be taken seriously.
> Thats is why there are handhelds. Which offer way more game wise (beside emulation)



Thing is, most high end phones work perfectly as gaming phones.  Most people I know who has bought the Galaxy 20 Fan edition did so to play games. If you need controllers or so on you can buy them as an extra.  

Heck they no longer include headphones with your phone and soon they won't include chargers...


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## Scarlet (Oct 18, 2020)

raxadian said:


> Thing is, most high end phones work perfectly as gaming phones.  Most people I know who has bought the Galaxy 20 Fan edition did so to play games. If you need controllers or so on you can buy them as an extra.
> 
> Heck they no longer include headphones with your phone and soon they won't include chargers...


Never mind headphones, they barely put headphone jacks on your phones nowadays lol


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## MetoMeto (Oct 18, 2020)

*It ain't gaming phone unless it has dedicated game-pad like Xperia PLAY had. *
That is one true gaming phone (_and i have it ofc_ )

P.S. Please do tell me how i can use BT controllers, cause it's just another (_bulkky_) thing i need to carry.

The one and only gaming phone, as far as i'm concerned is Xperia PLAY...
Til they make it with a controller all in one, that's how this will be for me.


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## raxadian (Oct 18, 2020)

Scarlet said:


> Never mind headphones, they barely put headphone jacks on your phones nowadays lol



Bluetooth speakers are not so bad, but yeah that sucks.


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## sudeki300 (Oct 18, 2020)

can someone call spiderman, we have found his phone


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## Chary (Oct 18, 2020)

It’s interesting to see so many people skeptical of a gaming phone. 

Is that due to the fact that the tagline of “gaming“ is considered a joke, or is it because there’s a lot of disdain here for mobile gaming? It’s curious.


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## Scarlet (Oct 18, 2020)

Chary said:


> It’s interesting to see so many people skeptical of a gaming phone.
> 
> Is that due to the fact that the tagline of “gaming“ is considered a joke, or is it because there’s a lot of disdain here for mobile gaming? It’s curious.


To be fair, when you think mobile gaming, you think hyper casual free to play apps. Recently, more companies have been testing the waters with their established games (Disgaea 1 Complete, Danganronpa, Monster Hunter Stories), so I can only hope this kinda thing does pick up to an extent, and people recognise the platform for its possibilities.


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## Chary (Oct 18, 2020)

Scarlet said:


> To be fair, when you think mobile gaming, you think hyper casual free to play apps. Recently, more companies have been testing the waters with their established games (Disgaea 1 Complete, Danganronpa, Monster Hunter Stories), so I can only hope this kinda thing does pick up to an extent, and people recognise the platform for its possibilities.


I do appreciate those mobile ports a lot—unless they’re akin to 999’s stripped down version—but what draws me to mobile gaming is the emulation side. With the Snapdragon 865 you can supposedly play Dolphin and even certain 2D Switch games. Android also boasts the best DS emulator with Drastic. There’s so many games that can be played portably. Why wait for a Switch version of GameCube VC when my phone will do it, and with a better screen?


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## PatrickD85 (Oct 18, 2020)

raxadian said:


> Thing is, most high end phones work perfectly as gaming phones.  Most people I know who has bought the Galaxy 20 Fan edition did so to play games. If you need controllers or so on you can buy them as an extra.
> 
> Heck they no longer include headphones with your phone and soon they won't include chargers...



Yeah the no chargers included has already been started by Apple.

And sure for everything there is a market. But I might be a bit old fashioned when it comes to my phone.
I hardly do any gaming on it ... media, web, mail etc thats for me all I need from a phone.


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## Scarlet (Oct 18, 2020)

Chary said:


> I do appreciate those mobile ports a lot—unless they’re akin to 999’s stripped down version—but what draws me to mobile gaming is the emulation side. With the Snapdragon 865 you can supposedly play Dolphin and even certain 2D Switch games. Android also boasts the best DS emulator with Drastic. There’s so many games that can be played portably. Why wait for a Switch version of GameCube VC when my phone will do it, and with a better screen?


Well I can attest to the Dolphin performance. Was playing Wind Waker today lol. Should have some performance videos when I do the full review.


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## Chary (Oct 18, 2020)

Scarlet said:


> Well I can attest to the Dolphin performance. Was playing Wind Waker today lol. Should have some performance videos when I do the full review.


I've seen the 865 do Dolphin flawlessly, so I'm sure it runs perfectly, and probably with boosted graphics. (I wonder if custom texture packs can even be done, too) but for the life of me, it doesn't work on an 855, which is crazy.


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## AlexMCS (Oct 18, 2020)

I can tell you that I can never get into mobile gaming due to the touch screen focus.
Bluetooth controllers aren't an option for me either, just another thing to carry and most likely lose on the long run.

Also, I want my phone to be a phone, you know? Make and receive calls/get in contact with people.
The battery life should be big to support that. It's a communication device.

Mobile gaming to me comes down to Sudoku/Killer Sudoku and things like that, which are adequate to a touch input experience, where thinking is more important than reacting/touching, as it improves battery life and do not suffer from input issues.

IMHO, a true gaming "phone" should be focused on gaming, and gaming alone: with physical buttons and no phone capabilities built-in, those should be optional.

What we have now is just games made for another OS (Android), just like a PC, but without the needed (Built-in) peripherals to make for a great experience. It's like a beefed up DS without buttons. And games NEED physical buttons, especially action games. We need that feedback from input, and the viewport to be clear.

On that note, those phones are getting stupid high specs, leagues better than many "recent" (3 years old+) PCs.
It's kinda scary that a Samsung S20 Ultra is better than more than 99% of the PCs we use in my workplace.


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## the_randomizer (Oct 18, 2020)

Stealphie said:


> Cool phone, but honestly, outside of emulation, It would just be better to get a Switch, 3DS, Vita, Etc. I don't know what the price of the phone is, but i'm *pretty* sure it's more expensive then all of these. Nice post though!



It's a pain to mod the Switch, firmware isn't permanent and pretty much sets it up for ban risks. It's easier to use this phone for emulation and doesn't require the use of a jig. What advantage does Switch have over this?


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## FAST6191 (Oct 18, 2020)

When a phone has a better screen than your PC...

Doubt I will get one for myself or otherwise feel compelled towards having a mobile phone but it is stuff like this that makes me consider it.



PatrickD85 said:


> You did hear yourself right? Gaming phone ... that will never be taken seriously.
> Thats is why there are handhelds. Which offer way more game wise (beside emulation)


How many people have a standalone camera, standalone music player, standalone video player or in some cases cart a laptop around where they once might have?

I don't know why crack is seemingly so popular among those designing and/or authorising designs on phones that we have not seen a phone blow other things out of the water but it seems far from a technical infeasibility.



AlexMCS said:


> Also, I want my phone to be a phone, you know? Make and receive calls/get in contact with people.



Judging by most people I meet these days you might be in a smaller group. Call someone these days and unless the call results in them having to bring a shovel, bring a mop and bucket, bring a rifle, or in some super fun cases then all three, you have seemingly committed something of a social faux pas.


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## chrisrlink (Oct 18, 2020)

remember the very first gaming phone? Nokia Ngage never again


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## Goku1992A (Oct 18, 2020)

raxadian said:


> Didn't people used to buy the Samsung Galaxy phones as gaming phones?



This! I find it pretty odd to have a gaming phone when most games are only playable on PC. Galaxy can play emulators pretty well


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## PatrickD85 (Oct 18, 2020)

FAST6191 said:


> How many people have a standalone camera, standalone music player, standalone video player or in some cases cart a laptop around where they once might have?



I get where you are coming from dont get me wrong there.
As for music / video, sure I use my phone or tablet for that a lot.

I am glad you mentioned camera, as being a semi professional photographer with well let's just say not so cheap equipment I can not really take anyone who 'photographs' with a phone serious. Then again it all depends on the situation. 
But would someone consider themselves a real photographer if they used only a phone?
If so more power to them but I personally classify that differently.

Back to phone-gaming;
I personally just don't consider gaming on a phone 'proper' gaming. Perhaps I am simply old fashioned in that regard. Perhaps it's because I did not really grow up with phones as my first way to game. I dont know. Perhaps it's a generation thing.

PS: Im NOT bashing anyone for either their available options, preference or what so ever.


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## FAST6191 (Oct 18, 2020)

PatrickD85 said:


> I get where you are coming from dont get me wrong there.
> As for music / video, sure I use my phone or tablet for that a lot.
> 
> I am glad you mentioned camera, as being a semi professional photographer with well let's just say not so cheap equipment I can not really take anyone who 'photographs' with a phone serious. Then again it all depends on the situation.
> ...




Is anybody going to take nice night shots, clubs and night festivals with a phone camera? Probably not.
Is anybody going to do anything that might need a big boy telephoto lens? Again probably not.

I saw the results of some of Sony's efforts with cameras on their phones a few years ago. If you are doing pretty nice (never mind serious sunlight or light box) macro to "hard to hold it on item by hand alone" distances then yeah I would see a phone as a viable alternative in that case. Resolution, colours, settings options... there in spades if you want it. You can even shoot in RAW/dng with such things if you wanted.

Weddings, brochures, historical events, current events, high end production (play to the limitations and you can use it, and what else is lighting when you are doing a film?), low end production... all done loads and have been for years.

The limitations at the start are unlikely to be a physical limits issue. Sensors and lenses will eventually equal anything we have today (and be able to attach a telephoto lens if the need arises), though I am sure once such a thing happens the extra space available for those still wanting a "conventional" camera will make them even more impressive (as it stands we have had cameras with better low light than human eyes for a while now).

Back on gaming. Would I suggest someone pick up a phone as a means to learn gaming (give or take emulation anyway) or experience a decent enough slice* to serve as a current example? Not really. That seems to be more an implementation issue than a practical limitation (are phones that functionally different than say a GBA, PSP or DS?). I am stunned it has not happened before now, not least of all because those that made the GBA and DS what they were all seemed to wander into phones after they left such things. Emulation would also be an interesting aspect to this as well -- if I can emulate a "real" game on such a device then I can surely do better on it if I did not have the overhead of emulation. At that point you are just after some half decent coders and maybe a common API for a controller.


*time was if you were not into arcades you weren't into gaming, PC has not always been a thing in gaming and since about the xbox through to almost today the consoles have at least been able to do something like be representative of where gaming is at and what its edges might be.


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## PatrickD85 (Oct 18, 2020)

*Is anybody going to take nice night shots, clubs and night festivals with a phone camera? Probably not.*

You would be amazed at what actually happens in that regard. Shooting photo's in that exact niche has long time (roughly 20ish years) been something I 'lived' in. I've seen the casual grow from the basic pocket cams to SLRs to DLSRS etc. And sure it all depends on people with what they really get / make it. (let's not even get started on what post editing can mean in that regard)

But also the ... wow ... a dutch word which I find hard to properly translate ... ehh it should be something like bizar / uncontrolled growth (we call it 'wildgroei').

So ehh yeah; the uncontrolled growth of number of photographers, all with various sets of equipment. And I kid you not there are people who go as far as to claim ... my phone can shoot better pictures then [enter any DSLR here]. And it could be true but it all depends on the who (skilled / non skilled photographer for example) combined with the what (type of equipment).

*Is anybody going to do anything that might need a big boy telephoto lens? Again probably not.*

Well yes there are. Perhaps I could even fall in this category to some degree.
For a quick example; on festivals I would be the guy chlling somewhere off-limits (on stage/ back stage etc) trying to get those 'unaware' shots of people interacting, dancing and so on These often are way more fun to shoot then the obvious group shot because they show people just being people ... and not 'staged'.

-----

But and that is my point; there is a market for anything and everything. That also applies to gaming it seems.  
All I am saying is; everybody can view what they call gaming or photographing differently. 

Will gaming move more to phones; I personally hope not.
But then again; if it does; good for the people who enjoy that. I will be elsewhere (on consoles).


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## xdarkx (Oct 19, 2020)

Scarlet said:


> Never mind headphones, they barely put headphone jacks on your phones nowadays lol



We can all thank Apple for that.  I won't though. Screw Apple. 



Chary said:


> It’s interesting to see so many people skeptical of a gaming phone.
> 
> Is that due to the fact that the tagline of “gaming“ is considered a joke, or is it because there’s a lot of disdain here for mobile gaming? It’s curious.



For me, I'm not saying you can't play games on your phone, but more like the idea of gaming phone sounds weird namely a phone mostly dedicated to playing mobile games (at least that's what I think of when I hear gaming phone). Besides emulations, most of the mobile games (mostly f2p ones) don't require much to play.  Most of the mid tier phones should be able to handle most of the games out there, and you can pretty much play most of the games without the need of physical buttons.


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## limpbiz411 (Oct 19, 2020)

Oakmontowls said:


> I think you missed the controller accessory that they also sell for the phone, not exactly ideal but it gives you options if you want to just play using a touchscreen.
> https://na.redmagic.gg/products/pro-handle-for-red-magic-5g


accessories, not connected. I can throw controller attachments on my phone now.


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## Deleted User (Oct 19, 2020)

the thing stopping phones from being great gaming devices is the lack of titles, not raw power, there are probably like 10 or 20 good phone games, and they are all ports, a few more if you count nvidia ports, but those either require you buying a shield or pirating

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limpbiz411 said:


> accessories, not connected. I can throw controller attachments on my phone now.


precisely, since they are an accessory and not atached, developers will feel less inclined to use them in their games

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MetoMeto said:


> *It ain't gaming phone unless it has dedicated game-pad like Xperia PLAY had. *
> That is one true gaming phone.
> 
> P.S. Please do tell me how i can use BT controllers...but it's just another thing i need to carry.
> ...


a new xperia phone with either heavily customized android (like the shield)  or a new os would be great


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## Kioku_Dreams (Oct 19, 2020)

Axido said:


> If that accessory (sold seperately) is turning the phone into a gaming phone, you can call pretty much any other phone a gaming phone as long as it has decent performance. I got multiple of those phone controllers and none of them made me use my phone for gaming the way I'd use a handheld console. Instead, they just collect dust.


I guess by this logic, the Switch is just a tablet?

Looking at a lot of these comments, most of it is just gatekeeping. That's just sad..


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## Deleted User (Oct 19, 2020)

Memoir said:


> I guess by this logic, the Switch is just a tablet?
> 
> Looking at a lot of these comments, most of it is just gatekeeping. That's just sad..


Joycon are included with every switch, as such, developers implement them in games


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## FAST6191 (Oct 19, 2020)

PatrickD85 said:


> *Is anybody going to take nice night shots, clubs and night festivals with a phone camera? Probably not.*
> 
> You would be amazed at what actually happens in that regard. Shooting photo's in that exact niche has long time (roughly 20ish years) been something I 'lived' in. I've seen the casual grow from the basic pocket cams to SLRs to DLSRS etc. And sure it all depends on people with what they really get / make it. (let's not even get started on what post editing can mean in that regard)
> 
> ...



If gaming does move to phones I hope it functions as it does today on my GBA, DS, PSP or the like (or even better because more power).
I see no technological impediment to it (they are fairly potent devices with screens, not much to mess up there), just a lack of desire on the part of game makers to sit down and do it. Don't know if they are distracted by the mountains of cash they imagine charging people for lives in a game will bring in or what but again if I can emulate a real game I can certainly have a native one.

As far as concerts. I have been around to see the transition of lighters in the air to a sea of phone screens. Not sure where things were going with that though.

On skills of operator.
Not seeing it. Autofocus, auto balance, auto iso, modern colour profiles... you can still fail but as long as you point it in the right direction at the right time (and even then all those phones advertised on TV seem to be more video cameras of silly resolution such that you can even rewind to pick the best frame and call that a photo) you are probably going to get something you can work with out of a phone.
Would I trust or rate the chances of such a person to use an early DSLR? Tell me about the rule of thirds? Choose film stock for a proper camera? Use nice flash powder and all the really fun chemical developers? Not at all, though would you rate your chances with nice silver plate chemicals here?

We can do it for most things when tech arrives to make previously difficult things far easier or render what was once a profession into the hands of an amateur. I have examples of that going back hundreds of years (my favourite being the story of lathes, as in the things that spin and you remove material, when the metal lathe carriage was invented).


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## Jonna (Oct 19, 2020)

Chary said:


> It’s interesting to see so many people skeptical of a gaming phone.
> 
> Is that due to the fact that the tagline of “gaming“ is considered a joke, or is it because there’s a lot of disdain here for mobile gaming? It’s curious.


For me, it's because gaming on a phone, other than the extremely casual "touch to physically move an object from one place to the next" games, just doesn't work for me on a touch screen. Three main problems that wrap around the issue of not being able to feel and press actual buttons:

1. I've lost the button. For the first 30 seconds you're pressing the right buttons, but because you can't feel where they are, your thumbs start slipping and you're suddenly no longer pressing the intended buttons. You can moving your thumbs around for a few seconds until your character starts doing the right thing, or you look down to the controls and re-establish where your thumbs are supposed to be. Repeat this several times for even a few minutes and, my god, it's annoying.

2. Am I actually pressing the button? No physical feeling of a button being pressed means sometimes the button apparently isn't pressed if I didn't actually touch the screen properly or not. Games will try to alleviate this with some sort of minor rumble, but that can also get annoying, especially if it's a game that requires a lot of action.

3. I have big thumbs. My thumb, and to an extent, the base of my thumb is covering up a portion of the game. On top of that, depending on the size of the touch controls, it's the difference of leaning my thumb a slight angle over that presses a whole new button unintentionally. Emulators are a no go for here, because in order to customize the controls big enough so I can press the buttons properly enough, the game itself is going to be so tiny.

Additional shout-outs tooooo:

- L & R buttons in games, emulators and mobile-made games. They're meant to be shoulder buttons, you're already holding your phone, and now you have to try to awkwardly hold up your phone and push buttons with your thumbs while pressing these buttons near the top of your phone with your fingers, and suddenly I get nightmare flashbacks of cramping from the days of playing Mario Kart DS.

- Muting your phone speakers. Generally you play mobile games in landscape mode, and phones aren't generally built to have the speaker on the sides of the phone in portrait, but the top and/or bottom, so gripping your phone means your sound got a lot lower.

- Bluetooth controllers. They've made strides in reducing latency, and the Bluetooth V5 controllers are awesome, and I've found virtually no lag. Buuuuut I have to use the speakers of the phone, because using bluetooth headphones while using the controller means there's sound lag - horrible experience when playing a game, especially if you're an audiophile like myself. There's a work-around - find a phone that still has a headphone port and use wired headphones, which is a solution. But getting harder to do that solution as more phones are omitting the headphone jack.

- A necessity to enable certain developers to craft games meant for serious gamers. There are developers doing this, but maybe not enough to start setting off a market that hardware manufacturers of phones need to see in order to produce actual gaming phones addressing the above (AKA, SONY PLEASE MAKE AN XPERIA PLAY SEQUEL, OR EVEN BETTER, ONE OF THE OTHER MORE CAPABLE COMPANIES MAKE IT HAPPEN). When Nintendo first announced they were making mobile games, I thought we'd be seeing some awesome games that were only slightly gypped and hindered versions of their platformers, or RPGs, or other less-casual gameplay types of games. But instead we got the usual automatic runners, sim-like games and the mobile games every one is accustomed to associating with "mobile gaming," just with Nintendo skins on them. Yeah, I am wrong for assuming and hoping they wouldn't go that way, and I don't even blame them, it's the mentality. If we could break away from the mentality with proper hardware on a phone, we could make it happen!


----------



## Deleted User (Oct 19, 2020)

Chary said:


> It’s interesting to see so many people skeptical of a gaming phone.
> 
> Is that due to the fact that the tagline of “gaming“ is considered a joke, or is it because there’s a lot of disdain here for mobile gaming? It’s curious.


just the lack of quality tittles, and lack of integrated controls (no, a bluetooth controller is not the same), plus, the disadvantages of android, a true gaming phone should have a gaming focused os

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------



Jonna said:


> - A necessity to enable certain developers to craft games meant for serious gamers. There are developers doing this, but maybe not enough to start setting off a market that hardware manufacturers of phones need to see in order to produce actual gaming phones addressing the above (AKA, SONY PLEASE MAKE AN XPERIA PLAY SEQUEL, OR EVEN BETTER, ONE OF THE OTHER MORE CAPABLE COMPANIES MAKE IT HAPPEN). When Nintendo first announced they were making mobile games, I thought we'd be seeing some awesome games that were only slightly gypped and hindered versions of their platformers, or RPGs, or other less-casual gameplay types of games. But instead we got the usual automatic runners, sim-like games and the mobile games every one is accustomed to associating with "mobile gaming," just with Nintendo skins on them. Yeah, I am wrong for assuming and hoping they wouldn't go that way, and I don't even blame them, it's the mentality. If we could break away from the mentality with proper hardware on a phone, we could make it happen!


Shield phone when?


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## Deleted User (Oct 19, 2020)

Emulation looks ok, what about the battery ?

For the price of a GPD Win 2, you gain phone capabilities at the expense of your steam library. 
Well, to each their own. 4G/5G will help streaming PS Now/Xbox remote, that's the only selling point I see.

I'll stick to arkham knight on the go, those last militia strongholds are giving me a hard time.


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## Skelletonike (Oct 19, 2020)

I have a Black Shark 3 (12GB/256GB), similar specs, similar phone. 

When buying my phone I opted for Black Shark against Red Magic due to the cooling. Red Magic can be a bit loud, and it's extremely bad with liquids due to the openings on the side.


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## Scarlet (Oct 19, 2020)

Skelletonike said:


> I have a Black Shark 3 (12GB/256GB), similar specs, similar phone.
> 
> When buying my phone I opted for Black Shark against Red Magic due to the cooling. Red Magic can be a bit loud, and it's extremely bad with liquids due to the openings on the side.


I haven't found it to be all that loud myself, but in a quiet room I suppose you would notice it. Water resistance is a fair criticism too lol

How do you find the Black Shark?


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## Skelletonike (Oct 19, 2020)

Scarlet said:


> I haven't found it to be all that loud myself, but in a quiet room I suppose you would notice it. Water resistance is a fair criticism too lol
> 
> How do you find the Black Shark?



I actually bought the phone on release, so it's a China ROM versions. In terms of updates and stuff, global versions of gaming phones are extreme slow to roll out.

Regarding the phone itself, it's pretty awesome. It can take a fall and while a bit heavy, you get used to it. Also, It's not waterproof, but it survived an accidental soda spill and a few water ones. 

Battery lasts quite a while, for example, if playing Genshin Impact with max settings and high brightness it can last me a full afternoon (while bluetooth was on and connected with a few devices). One of the most convenient things so far is the charging though, in half an hour it goes from 0 to 100 (never had it at 0, but from 16 to 100 it took around 20ish minutes). On a daily basis, I arrive home every evening with the phone sitting at 60%ish (this includes bluetooth on, a bit of gaming in breaks and lunch, usual email and fb usage and spotify connected for most of the day). 

The best thing though, is that I have had 0 slow downs or freezes. Even with 60 tabs open in firefox. z.z


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## renjiVII (Oct 19, 2020)

This is the first time I have heard about this brand. Unfortunately I've already ordered the OP8T that recently came out so getting this phone is out of the option..........


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## Skelletonike (Oct 19, 2020)

I've noticed some people here complaining about the redundancy of gaming phones.

Well, I also found them laughable at first, but do take this in consideration.

My BS3 for example, has:

- Full metal body (with glass cover in the back)
- RGB goodness
- Snapdragon 865 (5G)
- 12GB/256GB
- Can take a fall
- Big screen
- Stereo sound (dual speakers), it's loud.
- 3.5mm jack
- Haptic feedback
- Dedicated gaming mode (allows full control over the cpu, you can even set up voice commands in games)
- It's worth it's price (I bought mine for 630€ on release, and it has overal better specs than a 1000€ device)
- The camera is actually good, and has a nefty trick with it's AI that allows to create 256mpx pictures.
- It has never gotten hot (and I use it a lot).

Here are some photos of the actual phone (taken from the internet):



Spoiler













Not to mention the accessories these phones have, from coolers, to magnetic chargers and dedicated controllers.


A few years ago the idea was laughable sure, nowadays not so much. Especially when you're paying less for them than you would for any other high end device.


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## MetoMeto (Oct 19, 2020)

Azerus_Kun said:


> a new xperia phone with either heavily customized android (like the shield)  or a new os would be great


Totally agree!
I mean play has some flaws and mostly concerning storage space, power, and buttons. they are kinda to clicky and rigid but goot enough...but can be better though. They need real thumb sticks ofc.

As for power xperia is really powerfull compared to today phones especially if you install a custom android optimized for gaming like i did. it run most emulators and even PSX one prefectly (im not using its own, native psx emulator).

And obviously storage space is so small its funny.... at least 100GB is needed.

Id be glad to have a bit bigger phone but not more than 5 inch. and more modern, but slide design is flawless. i really love it!


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## Scarlet (Oct 19, 2020)

MetoMeto said:


> Totally agree!
> I mean play has some flaws and mostly concerning storage space, power, and buttons. they are kinda to clicky and rigid but goot enough...but can be better though. They need real thumb sticks ofc.
> 
> As for power xperia is really powerfull compared to today phones especially if you install a custom android optimized for gaming like i did. it run most emulators and even PSX one prefectly (im not using its own, native psx emulator).
> ...


Oh wow now you mention it, it came pre-installed with Crash Bandicoot right? Gosh that's a blast from the past.


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## MetoMeto (Oct 19, 2020)

Scarlet said:


> Oh wow now you mention it, it came pre-installed with Crash Bandicoot right? Gosh that's a blast from the past.


Yes that is it!  great emulation machine though!


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## sushix (Oct 19, 2020)

Stealphie said:


> Cool phone, but honestly, outside of emulation, It would just be better to get a Switch, 3DS, Vita, Etc. I don't know what the price of the phone is, but i'm *pretty* sure it's more expensive then all of these. Nice post though!


and those are great with physical buttons


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## Stealphie (Oct 19, 2020)

the_randomizer said:


> It's a pain to mod the Switch, firmware isn't permanent and pretty much sets it up for ban risks. It's easier to use this phone for emulation and doesn't require the use of a jig. What advantage does Switch have over this?


Did you read the part that said "outside of emulation"?


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## JavaScribe (Oct 19, 2020)

Azerus_Kun said:


> The lack of quality titles and the lack of integrated controls, plus the disadvantages of Android; a true gaming phone should have a gaming focused OS.


The lack of titles is the biggest thing for me. Most mobile games fall into an entirely different category, far beyond "casual," and are designed around the processing power, input methods, and userbase of typical smartphones. Sure, there are exceptions, but are there enough of them to make a gaming phone worthwhile?
For any game that would benefit from running on a gaming phone, I have to wonder: Why would videogame _developers_ *or* videogame _consumers_ pick a mobile platform over PC or console?


Azerus_Kun said:


> A true gaming phone should have a gaming focused OS.


In theory, yes, but in practice, it would probably be garbage.


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## MetoMeto (Oct 19, 2020)

Azerus_Kun said:


> a true gaming phone should have a gaming focused os





JavaScribe said:


> In theory, yes, but in practice, it would probably be garbage.


I don't see how it would be garbage since its called gaming phone. 
It's primary function is gaming, secondary (_less important_) is phone-calls and SMS/Viber....


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## Legendaykai (Oct 19, 2020)

I'm sorry but i still  stand by my opinion Phones are NOT gaming machines(consoles)  plus the majority of the games have ads up the ass every few minutes. Where as REAL consoles are PS4 , Xbox,pc and switch  THOSE ARE consoles not a Phone! Now while the put all these fancy graphics chips in the phone doesn't really make any sense as the real bit titles are console locked  so why do these companies bother? Other than money and catering to the casual audiance who I might add are not real gamers!


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## MetoMeto (Oct 19, 2020)

Legendaykai said:


> I'm sorry but i still  stand by my opinion Phones are NOT gaming machines(consoles)  plus the majority of the games have ads up the ass every few minutes. Where as REAL consoles are PS4 , Xbox,pc and switch  THOSE ARE consoles not a Phone! Now while the put all these fancy graphics chips in the phone doesn't really make any sense as the real bit titles are console locked  so why do these companies bother? Other than money and catering to the casual audiance who I might add are not real gamers!


Sure they are, if devs would make games worth buying... But still pc's consoles, phones are all bunch of processors and memory, transistors. Any device can be gaming if it just have dedicated external feture and software to support it..i mean the UI.

You dont have adds if you remove adds 

As for phones not being gaming machines, you might want to look at Sony Xperis PLAY and rethink that.

Real gamer.... Real gamer is a person that play video games and enjoy them. Its really not a philosophy imo.


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## Legendaykai (Oct 19, 2020)

I still stand by what I said, Phones are NOT consoles  plus mobile phones do not posess the battery power to run games for the amount of time needed fo a decent play session actual gamers like to do the battery life is a huge issue  and keeping it on charge only  wears the battery down  so  going back to my rubuttal phones are not and never will be  a console end of disscusion!


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## Scarlet (Oct 19, 2020)

Legendaykai said:


> I still stand by what I said, Phones are NOT consoles  plus mobile phones do not posess the battery power to run games for the amount of time needed fo a decent play session actual gamers like to do the battery life is a huge issue  and keeping it on charge only  wears the battery down  so  going back to my rubuttal phones are not and never will be  a console end of disscusion!


I'll be sure to include a battery comparison with my Switch and 3DS alongside this phone if that's a major concern. It's actually pretty wild, not to mention how quickly it can charge back to full when compared to something like a Switch.


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## DarkCrudus (Oct 19, 2020)

Man there are a ton of people here that seem to think very poorly of mobile gaming. 

My brother has gotten one of these at the beginning of the month, it's super cool, great specs especially for price (people still dump out $1000+ for latest flagship with the same specs+nice camera)

I wanna get one myself because I play a TON of different games on my mobile device and it's a really nice bang for buck option.


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## JavaScribe (Oct 19, 2020)

MetoMeto said:


> I don't see how it would be garbage since its called gaming phone.


Making nice things is difficult. Especially something as complicated as an OS. Let alone a touch-based OS.
Who's going to make it? I can't imagine any entity with the *means* and *motivation* to do so.



MetoMeto said:


> Real gamer is a person that play video games and enjoys it.


I think that's a pretty fair statement. Though, there are probably plenty of people who play games only occasionally (particularly- though not necessarily- mobile games) who wouldn't consider themselves to be gamers.


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## Scarlet (Oct 19, 2020)

JavaScribe said:


> Making nice things is difficult. Especially something as complicated as an OS. Let alone a touch-based OS.
> Who's going to make it? I can't imagine any entity with the *means* and *motivation* to do so.
> 
> 
> I think that's a pretty fair statement.


You'd ultimately end up with a custom Android skin to ride off the established platform, with the downside of being associated with all the negative connotations you can find in this thread, or you'd have an entirely new platform, where your issue lies in getting games onto it.

Either way, I do agree it's a difficult task without a company like Nintendo developing it with a pre existing library in mind.


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## MetoMeto (Oct 19, 2020)

Legendaykai said:


> I still stand by what I said, Phones are NOT consoles  plus mobile phones do not posess the battery power to run games for the amount of time needed fo a decent play session actual gamers like to do the battery life is a huge issue  and keeping it on charge only  wears the battery down  so  going back to my rubuttal phones are not and never will be  a console end of disscusion!


Phones are NOT consoles, they are phones (but you can argue in this day and age that they are phones at all. they do so many things and the lest that they do is phone calls. True Phones where in 90s, where only game was snake. N-Gage and Xperia WHERE gaming phones), 
but what I wanted to say is that they CAN be gaming consoles aka "Gaming Phones".

As for battery power, the SWITCH doesnt have any better battery than phones, where phones have many services that run in background and antenas hence draining it over period of a day.

To conclude. Phones WILL never be conoles, because they are phones and today smartphones are everything but phones. I consider them Pocket Computers. Phones are long dead. Nokia 3310 was a phone for example. Samsung Galaxy Note 20 is a personal pocket computer with phone funcionality. Computers can play games. If a smartphon is designed in such a way to have dedicated UI and controller built into it that it IS a gaming smartphone/pocket pc WITH phoning funcionality. Nvidia shield is a perfect example of this.
Now having actual games and inviting developers to make games for it is a different matter.


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## JavaScribe (Oct 19, 2020)

Scarlet said:


> You'd ultimately end up with a custom Android skin, or you'd have an entirely new platform, where your issue lies in getting games onto it.


Exactly.
Theoretically, Google _could_ add features to Android to make it better for gaming, but it would still be Android. I don't expect that to happen any time soon, but it could happen.


Legendaykai said:


> phones are NOT consoles


PCs are not consoles. Your point?


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## Scarlet (Oct 19, 2020)

MetoMeto said:


> Now having actual games and inviting developers to make games for it is a different matter.


Just to focus on this last bit, I do believe more "console-level" gaming experiences will grace the mobile shores in time. As more powerful phones become the norm, developers have more room to be creative and use what's available to them. The potential mobile audience is an insanely large untapped mass, and people will come to see that in time. Not to say there won't be certain gatekeepers along the way lol


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## MetoMeto (Oct 19, 2020)

JavaScribe said:


> Making nice things is difficult. Especially something as complicated as an OS. Let alone a touch-based OS.
> Who's going to make it? I can't imagine any entity with the *means* and *motivation* to do so.
> 
> 
> I think that's a pretty fair statement. Though, there are probably plenty of people who play games only occasionally (particularly- though not necessarily- mobile games) who wouldn't consider themselves to be gamers.



I still dont see the problem though. Why touch, why not contoller like in old days, if phones actually have one like xperia play had it (lol old days...its sad that im saying that because thats how it should be imo. Fucking touch screen)
Its just an OS. Designers know how to design them and test them. Thats the least problem imo.

Consider or not, they basically are gamers. I eman they game... game...gameRS.
But while its not a philosophical question you can argue that true gamers are people who have passion for games, and not just play them as pass time activity and than dont care or know anything about it.
So its like different side of a same coin as how i see it. lol


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## Legendaykai (Oct 19, 2020)

Scarlet said:


> I'll be sure to include a battery comparison with my Switch and 3DS alongside this phone if that's a major concern. It's actually pretty wild, not to mention how quickly it can charge back to full when compared to something like a Switch.


While that's really sweet of you  but I will never class a Phone as a console/gaming system


JavaScribe said:


> Exactly.
> Theoretically, Google _could_ add features to Android to make it better for gaming, but it would still be Android. I don't expect that to happen any time soon, but it could happen.
> 
> PCs are not consoles. Your point?


pcs make tha majority of the titles of what we play so pcs are not part of this issue here.


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## the_randomizer (Oct 19, 2020)

Stealphie said:


> Did you read the part that said "outside of emulation"?



No, sorry for breathing the same oxygen of you, I'm human and I make mistakes. Oy vey.


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## MetoMeto (Oct 19, 2020)

Scarlet said:


> Just to focus on this last bit, I do believe more "console-level" gaming experiences will grace the mobile shores in time. As more powerful phones become the norm, developers have more *room* to be creative and use what's available to them. The potential mobile audience is an insanely large untapped mass, and people will come to see that in time. Not to say there won't be certain gatekeepers along the way lol



Now that you mentioned word "room", game "the ROOM" trilogy (i actual highly recommend them, puzzle games, gorgeous looking) is a perfect example how good/console level mobile games can be and how powerful Android as a platform can be.
Or game like "Implosion: never loose hope" and so on...

I mean idk i'm not a developer...but i heard devs prefer iOS.
But again, OS is not a problem imo. Every console has one, they are developing new OS's all the time.



I actually searched many console-like games on android (since obviously, i like console games), there are many really great games and
mini-games that are still console like.
"Bomb Chicken" for example and nitrome games have some bite size great console like experience games on Android, and lately i see them on a PC and Switch also with good reception.
All you need is an idea, good will, talented people and ofc the love~

To get back to what you said "more room to develop"...
Yes that is very true, and while i agree that mobile audience is potential large mass, i think passion gamers already know what they want, devs wont find any new people in that mass. The people that already ARE in that mass already have switch or PS4, preordered PS5, and if true gaming phone ever comes out they will be the real audience imo.

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------



Scarlet said:


> I'll be sure to include a battery comparison with my Switch and 3DS alongside this phone if that's a major concern. It's actually pretty wild, not to mention how quickly it can charge back to full when compared to something like a Switch.


My NOKIA 6 charges from
0% to 100% in 45 min. and from
0% to  50%  in 22.5 min.

And that's my potato phone!
I can imagine how better more modern phones are!

P.S. fun fact:
If you take out any cartridge (flashcart or real game) from your game slot in 3DS, the battery life increases drastically!
Cartridges and especially flashcarts like R4 loooove to eat 3DS battery power, they are like parasites!
Not joking! After you done playing or in stand by especially, take out the card from the slot, and when doing comparison, it would be better comparison imo.


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## JavaScribe (Oct 19, 2020)

MetoMeto said:


> Why touch, why not contoller?


Either:
1. You design it to work with existing phones. Most don't have controllers. You can try to make it compatible with as many third-party accessories as possible, in which case, good luck- you'll need it. Or you can make it touch-based.
Or:
2. You design software AND hardware. Again, good luck- you'll need it. Also, at what point does it become a handheld with a SIM tray?



MetoMeto said:


> It's just an OS. Designers know how to design them and test them.


Just because you can make it work, doesn't mean you can make it work _well_. It's harder than you might think.



Scarlet said:


> Just to focus on this last bit, I do believe more "console-level" gaming experiences will grace the mobile shores in time.


 Perhaps. Especially if phones like this one become popular. And it _is_ possible to make games that work really well with a touchscreen, if you're creative.



Legendaykai said:


> PCs make the majority of the titles we play, so PCs are not part of the issue.


Steam exists.
(See also: Razer, Corsair, Steelseries, ROG, Alienware, Legion, HyperX, et cetera)


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## MetoMeto (Oct 19, 2020)

JavaScribe said:


> Either:
> 1. You design it to work with existing phones. Most don't have controllers. You can try to make it compatible with as many third-party accessories as possible, in which case, good luck- you'll need it. Or you can make it touch-based.
> Or:
> 2. You design software AND hardware. Again, good luck- you'll need it. Also, at what point does it become a handheld with a SIM tray?
> Just because you can make it work, doesn't mean you can make it work _well_. It's harder than you might think.


You have point there.


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## FAST6191 (Oct 19, 2020)

Legendaykai said:


> While that's really sweet of you  but I will never class a Phone as a console/gaming system


From what I have seen of your logic then because the DSi included a camera and a MP3 player it was not a gaming system.


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## MetoMeto (Oct 20, 2020)

FAST6191 said:


> From what I have seen of your logic then because the DSi included a camera and a MP3 player it was not a gaming system.


Hmm...what i think he means is that phones should never be gaming devices at their present state, not because they cant render games (they can ofc), but because they are not so well polished and focused on gaming.
They dont know what they wanna be.
I meani kinda get him, i was also there and still am. Im waiting for a Xperia 2 so to say and better support for game library of more quality console-like games for smartphones and ofc dedicated hardware, i mean controller, buttons etc.

So i can kinda get what he is saying, i would also never consider phones as they are a gaming devices, no matter that they are capable of rendering advanced graphics. Graphics is just not everything when t comes to gaming.
hile i can play gaes on my mobile, its not same experience as with switch, vita, gba, ds etc.... those devices know what they are and i think thats big destinction.

Phones as gaming devices can exist as hybrids phone/console but need to bo more on one side and less on another imo so it can have clear purpose.
Phones today, although powerfull, and even this phone here, overweight on a phone side despite its specs, it just lacks conviniences such as better UI/OS, controller built in for fast and easy gaming.
This is still a smartphone more than a console...just another smartphone in sea of smartphones with nothing more than..more horsepower and small (or big) "features"...but esentially a smartphone such as Mu nokia 6 or note 20 or iphone.

As i mentioned above, only Xperia PLAY can be separated from all of them by function and formfactor alone (having dedicated controller biolt it), even though its much less powerfull device!

Whenever i take it out these days on a street or at freinds house they all go: "dam dude! what is that thing, a gaming console? oh wow now its a phone! so cool!" 

But this phone covered here...just...yeah, another block with screen.

Consoles are based on philosophy of simplicity and fast uage. 
now carrying separate clunku BT controller is not simple, and searching ocean of stupid casual games to find few good quality one... so by that logic i think he has a point. I can also never call THIS phone a true gaming phone.


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## FAST6191 (Oct 20, 2020)

MetoMeto said:


> Hmm...what i think he means is that phones should never be gaming devices at their present state, not because they cant render games (they can ofc), but because they are not so well polished and focused on gaming.
> They dont know what they wanna be.
> I meani kinda get him, i was also there and still am. Im waiting for a Xperia 2 so to say and better support for game library of more quality console-like games for smartphones and ofc dedicated hardware, i mean controller, buttons etc.
> 
> ...



Simplicity and fast usage went the way of the dodo about the time we started getting online updates for games. On handhelds when some of the most popular games on those systems were ports of 30 hour + SNES RPGs and things you might mistake for one then simplicity and fast usage was also dealt something of a blow. Indeed it might even be phones as they stand today that offer the superior "5 minutes before class, in the car, waiting for the bus" type deal which is a bit of a crying shame really as I do like having something for such a task.

As far as handhelds. None I have ever seen have been ideal for the task. All have had major compromises on every front that I can give you a dozen improvements for each (screen resolution, video out, form factor being anything but a nice comfortable controller and so on).
With that in mind I don't see a great distinction here. There are good reasons for many of those but their nature is still compromised.

Separate controller. Don't see it much more than carrying a controller and memory card for an evening on the N64 back when or a pouch of games, or indeed a power bank. Built in, rails... all seem like an arbitrary distinction.

Are phone games as they presently stand given 5 years more polish going to lead us to the land of milk and honey? Not a chance. I would even take Nintendo's* utterly mediocre efforts in the post DS world before I contemplate that future.

*that might be a bit unfair. I never actually got into Nintendo handhelds for Nintendo games (other than Advance Wars and Starfy, both of which are basically stone dead for a decade now, I would not care if any had stopped with the gameboy). When they lost the third parties on the 3ds (seemingly to IOS and then Android) then everything went meh.


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## DarkCrudus (Oct 20, 2020)

So what I'm gathering is people want their controllers connected to their console because having it separate and having to pair it is too inconvenient and you might lose it... 

Oh Wait.


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## MetoMeto (Oct 20, 2020)

DarkCrudus said:


> So what I'm gathering is people want their controllers connected to their console because having it separate and having to pair it is too inconvenient and you might lose it...
> 
> Oh Wait.


Ha. ha. ha. 

Phone is not a home "console" it's a handheld "console" and should have a built-in
controller as such imo.


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## DarkCrudus (Oct 20, 2020)

MetoMeto said:


> Ha. ha. ha.
> 
> Phone is not a home "console" it's a handheld "console" and should have a built-in
> controller as such imo.


I mean. The controls are literally "built in"


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## MetoMeto (Oct 20, 2020)

DarkCrudus said:


> I mean. The controls are literally "built in"


what do you mean?


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## Kioku_Dreams (Oct 20, 2020)

MetoMeto said:


> Ha. ha. ha.
> 
> Phone is not a home "console" it's a handheld "console" and should have a built-in
> controller as such imo.


That's a terrible take. I'd rather they look at the Switch and try to give us an experience similar to that. Razer is close with the Kishi controller, as is GameSir... Phones like the Moqi i7 are cool and all, but the built in controls make for an unnecessarily bulky experience.

It's weird that we can't call phones consoles, but a glorified tablet can be considered a home console.

Aside from a limited OS, one has games in mind while the other can play games. There is no clear "line" here and the gatekeeping is becoming desperate.


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## DarkCrudus (Oct 20, 2020)

MetoMeto said:


> what do you mean?


Touch controls "built in" lolol


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## xatzimi (Oct 20, 2020)

I'm intrigued but there really aren't many mobile games I want to play. Ports (of a limited number of games) and emulation are nice to have but I wouldn't consider them selling points.

That aside, I'm curious to know if the controllers work well with Xbox Game Pass streaming. That's something I can't do on the consoles I own, nor on PC for now


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## Scarlet (Oct 20, 2020)

xatzimi said:


> I'm intrigued but there really aren't many mobile games I want to play. Ports (of a limited number of games) and emulation are nice to have but I wouldn't consider them selling points.
> 
> That aside, I'm curious to know if the controllers work well with Xbox Game Pass streaming. That's something I can't do on the consoles I own, nor on PC for now


I'll be sure to try that for the review. In all honesty I had no idea the Game Pass stuff was even out for Android yet!


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## diggeloid (Oct 20, 2020)

This is such a niche device already, I wonder why they didn't try something more radical like the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play. Anyone willing to buy a dedicated gaming phone would probably prefer physical controls, and clearly wouldn't care about aesthetics (evidenced by this monstrosity Red Magic is calling a phone)


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## JavaScribe (Oct 20, 2020)

DarkCrudus said:


> Touch controls "built in" lolol


Imagine having to pair a touchscreen with a phone.


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## FAST6191 (Oct 20, 2020)

JavaScribe said:


> Imagine having to pair a touchscreen with a phone.


Never had to calibrate a screen?


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## Skelletonike (Oct 21, 2020)

diggeloid said:


> This is such a niche device already, I wonder why they didn't try something more radical like the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play. Anyone willing to buy a dedicated gaming phone would probably prefer physical controls, and clearly wouldn't care about aesthetics (evidenced by this monstrosity Red Magic is calling a phone)



Xperia Play was a failure, heck, all phones that attempted to become more of a console rather than an actual phone failed miserably, and for good reasons. Most phones that end up having physical buttons, well... stop being actual phones. 

These devices are gaming focused smartphones, they are not consoles nor do they aim to become one. 
Just how a gaming focused desktop or laptop is just like any other computer at the end of the day.


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## Deleted User (Oct 21, 2020)

Skelletonike said:


> Xperia Play was a failure, heck, all phones that attempted to become more of a console rather than an actual phone failed miserably, and for good reasons. Most phones that end up having physical buttons, well... stop being actual phones.
> 
> These devices are gaming focused smartphones, they are not consoles nor do they aim to become one.
> Just how a gaming focused desktop or laptop is just like any other computer at the end of the day.


a desktop maybe i could pass, but gaming focused laptop's gaming features do make them a bit worse for general use, mostly the huge power adaptors and the overall laptop also being humongous


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## diggeloid (Oct 21, 2020)

Skelletonike said:


> Most phones that end up having physical buttons, well... stop being actual phones.



Lol what. By physical buttons, do you mean specifically game controllers, or things like a physical keyboard? I'll assume the former.

And in that case, how many phones even fit that description? Xperia Play is one.... and I guess N-Gage was another. But that's it AFAIK. Maybe there are a handful of other obscure phones that no one has ever heard of, but there is not enough evidence to support your conclusions.

The Nintendo 3DS and Vita are proof that mobile handhelds are a compelling gaming format. They may not have been enormous commercial successes because they were competing with smartphones for customer's pocket space, but the gaming experiences they provided were far better than anything a smartphone can offer even today.

A smartphone that could offer the same gaming experience as a 3DS/Vita without forcing customers to choose between a game console and a smartphone is an idea with a lot of potential. IMO the only one in a position to pull it off is Apple, but they've historically never cared about gaming so that's unlikely. And if Google or some Android OEM does it, it's likely going to be a half-assed low-quality unsupported mess...unless maybe Sony tries it.


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## Vila_ (Oct 21, 2020)

Personally it will take me a while to get used to the fact gaming phones exist... I would still go for a sony xperia xz premium


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## Skelletonike (Oct 21, 2020)

diggeloid said:


> Lol what. By physical buttons, do you mean specifically game controllers, or things like a physical keyboard? I'll assume the former.
> 
> And in that case, how many phones even fit that description? Xperia Play is one.... and I guess N-Gage was another. But that's it AFAIK. Maybe there are a handful of other obscure phones that no one has ever heard of, but there is not enough evidence to support your conclusions.
> 
> ...



The 3DS was a huge success. The vita, not so much.
I am someone who loves handhelds and I usually carry several with me (3DS, GBA, Vita and Switch, even though I barely play any of them during work breaks), however handhelds and phones are different in the same way that a PC is not a console. They can do similar things, but they are not the same. 

What you seem to want is a handheld device and not an actual phone.


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## FAST6191 (Oct 21, 2020)

Skelletonike said:


> What you seem to want is a handheld device and not an actual phone.



Is phone functionality not a simple function you can effectively just chuck onto any old device as a bonus not unlike you might chuck a LED torch, FM radio or similar into one?


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## Skelletonike (Oct 21, 2020)

FAST6191 said:


> Is phone functionality not a simple function you can effectively just chuck onto any old device as a bonus not unlike you might chuck a LED torch, FM radio or similar into one?



The way things are atm, not really. 
Phones nowadays, smartphones, are pretty much a portable computer. You can do anything with a smartphone these days, heck, you can even write code and program with it if you feel inclined to do so. 

With how reliant people are on social networks these days, just adding a sim card would not work that well.


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## WhiteMaze (Oct 22, 2020)

Honestly, you're better off just buying a Note 9. 

Far better device, with practically exact same performance, and none of the software bugs. 

A used Note 9 would be the best bet. Or the new Poco phone. 

Costs too much for what it offers. Would be a different situation if it had the Snapdragon 865+ ..


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## goldensun87 (Oct 22, 2020)

That's a sweet deal for $650.  Samsung Galaxies are hella overpriced nowadays.  When I am ready to buy a smartphone, I will always look beyond the mainstream.


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## JavaScribe (Oct 23, 2020)

FAST6191 said:


> Never had to calibrate a screen?


Thankfully, no, I haven't. Except for the DS Lite.
I'm pretty sure you need a dial code to get to that menu on a modern phone.

But imagine having to pair a screen that wasn't built into the hardware. I can see it now: "Calibration could not detect a screen."
As an error message. On the screen. Which "isn't there." It just sounds like something that would _somehow_ happen.


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## Deleted User (Oct 27, 2020)

The ROG Phone 3 is better trust me


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## Wdnx05GBAT (Dec 19, 2020)

Scarlet said:


> View attachment 229672​
> Just a few years ago, I laughed at the idea of a gaming phone. I still remember when the first Razer Phone was announced, and all I could wonder is who it was aimed at. Who would spend so much money on a device focused on a need that just didn’t seem to exist. Roll on 2020 and here I am, garish phone in hand; did the market change, or did I?
> 
> View attachment 229640
> ...




Could you please describe using the right controller with Genshin Impact?
Does the right analog work properly by mapping with camera movement?

Based on other online reviews, It is jerky with FPS and TPS. I plan to buy it for playing Genshin Impact alone but afraid of this problem.

Thank you in advance


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