Quick Links
Ever wondered why your cutting-edgesuperphoneturns into a sad potato mid-frag? It’s probably plotting against you. Or maybe it’s just constipated with bloatware. But do you ever think of that? No. You just think about yourself, Steve.
But I kid. Look, we’ve all been there, sweaty palms, knees weak, arms heavy and a device that’s hotter than your cousin’s mixtape. And that is why I’m here. To squeeze every last drop of performance out of your pocket rocket, even if we have to sacrifice a goat to the Silicon Gods. Let’s do this, shall we?
Know Your Limitations
Not all smartphones are built the same, especially when it comes to gaming grunt. Sure, we have some creme-de-la-creme options like the ASUS ROG Phone line or Nubia’s Red Magic series which are optimized for gaming. There’s all sorts sorts of fancy stuff like smooth 120Hz+ displays, specialized cooling tech, and mappable shoulder triggers. But that’s not all phones. The average mid-ranger might need some TLC to perform its best. And in scenarios like these, it helps a bit to know what you may and can’t do. Here are some terms you need to get familiar with.
Keep Things Cool
Heat is the enemy here. When your phone’s temperature goes up, it throttles performance to avoid damaging the hardware. This is why you notice a sudden dip in performance after a few minutes of playing. Here’s how to keep things cool:
Optimize In-Game Settings
If you’re like me and love to fiddle around with the settings menu, you’ll notice that in most games, there is a dedicated menu for optimizing your gameplay. Sure, it’s super tempting to max everything out and play the game on the highest possible graphics, but that doesn’t necessarily translate into better performance every single time.
Update, Update, Update
Keeping your phone’s software up to date is a massive non-neg. That’s because manufacturers regularly release updates that can optimize performance, fix bugs, and improve compatibility with games.
Game Mode And Performance Boosters
Most smartphones these days come equipped with a dedicated Game Mode or Performance Booster setting. These modes optimize the CPU, GPU, and RAM allocation to prioritize gaming over other tasks. The name for this can vary depending on your model and make, by the way. Gaming mode essentially kills all background processes, boosts network performance, and in some cases enhances touch response time.
On the other hand, we have performance mode, which is, again, a staple on most flagships. This one maxes out the hardware’s capabilities at the cost of your phone’s battery life. It’s almost as if you’re putting your phone on steroids for gaming. Which is why we recommend that you use it wisely.
Free Up Storage Space
No one likes a cluttered phone. It’s horrible to look at, and the low storage slows everything down. You have to keep in mind that your phone, much like you and me, needs some breathing room to handle things efficiently.
Network Optimization
If you love playing online games, you already know that your network speed can make or break your experience. Having a high ping can screw up your chances in the most sensitive of moments, thanks to the lag it causes. Which is why we have some standard tips for keeping your connection rock-solid:
Battery Care
We’ve already sort-of touched on this, but battery performance directly impacts your gaming experience. This is because a depleting/dying battery can cause frame drops and erratic behavior.
Controller Hacks
I mean, hey, nothing against the touch controls. But if you want an edge, you should definitely consider gaming accessories like controllers or trigger buttons.
FAQs
Are gaming phones worth the investment for casual gamers?
Unless you’re a professional-grade, competitive gamer who needs the best possible performance, down to every last spec, or just someone with a lot of money to burn, I would not recommend making the investment on a gaming phone. Most regular smartphones can take the heat and give you quite a performance with gaming.
Can using a VPN improve my mobile gaming experience?
In some cases, a VPN can help reduce ping and improve connection stability, especially if you’re connecting to servers in different regions. However, you need to know that this thing is a double-edged sword, because connecting to VPNs can also introduce additional latency, which really messes with your gameplay.
Can cloud gaming services improve performance on lower-end devices?
Cloud gaming services can allow you to play high-end games on lower-spec devices by offloading the processing to remote servers. However, they require a strong, stable internet connection for the best experience.
