Mobile Gaming On a Budget: Exploring Budget-Friendly SoCs for Playing Games

Mobile gaming has come a long way. From the simplicity of Candy Crush in 2013 to the complexity of PUBG Mobile in 2023, there is no question that gaming on a smartphone has matured a lot. Nevertheless, smartphones that can play games do not come cheap. In this post, we will examine some affordable SoCs and why you should be considering them if you want to play games on a budget.

Brief background on the need for Budget Smartphone Gaming

For any smartphone to play games, the phone has to be able to install, process and render the game on its screen. The part of the smartphone that is accountable for this is the SoC. All SoCs are not made equal and the same can also be said about the games themselves.

Some games are small and have simple 2D graphics. These games can be run by just about any smartphone (with any SoC), from the entry-level to the flagship. Examples of these simple games include Temple Run, Candy Crush, Zuma, Angry Birds, etc. However, other games (especially the more popular ones) are a lot more advanced and use High Definition 3D graphics. These advanced games are a lot more visually appealing but they require a lot more processing power. This means to run these games, you will need an SoC with decent processing power. Examples of such games are eFootball Mobile, PUBG Mobile, Call of Duty Mobile, etc.

Some Budget-Friendly SoCs for gaming

With the current inflation in the world today, phones with good SoCs do not come cheap. However, you don’t have to break the bank to have a decent gaming experience. Here are some budget gaming SoCs that you should consider if you are short on cash.

• MediaTek Helio G80
• Unisoc T618
• MediaTek Helio G85
• MediaTek Helio G88
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 680

MediaTek Helio G80

The 3-year-old Helio G80 kicks off our list of budget-friendly SoCs that you should be considering if you are on a budget. The G80 is a solid SoC that offers decent performance and is cheap too. This is why many smartphone manufacturers keep bringing it back. You can find it on phones like the Infinix Note 8, Poco M2, Vivo Y21s, Y33, Y33s, Samsung Galaxy F22, M22, M32, A22, and A14 (all 4G).

Pros:

• Cheap
• Decent performance
• Runs many games well at mid to low settings

Cons:

• A bit old now
• Gets hot during a prolonged gaming session
• Lacks optimization for some games

Unisoc T618

The Unisoc T618 is not very popular and it is also a bit dated now. However, it is cheap and it can play games at mid to low settings. However, Unisoc’s previous troubles have mostly kept smartphone OEMs from taking a gamble on their SoCs. You can find the T618 on the ZTE Blade V40, V40s, V40 pro, ZTE Axon 40 SE etc.

Pros:

• Cheap
• Decent performance
• Runs many games well at mid to low settings

Cons:

• A bit dated and old now
• Cannot be found on many phones
• Can get hot during a prolonged gaming session
• Lacks optimization for some games

MediaTek Helio G85

The Helio G85 is a faster version of the aforementioned Helio G80. This makes the Helio G85 slightly more powerful than its predecessor. You can find this SoC on phones like the Redmi 12c, Infinix Hot 12, Moto G23, etc.

Pros:

• Cheap
• Decent performance
• Runs many games well at mid to low settings

Cons:

• It is old
• It could overheat during prolonged gaming sessions
• Lacks optimization for some games

MediaTek Helio G88

The MediaTek Helio G88 is a faster version of the Helio G85, just like the G85 itself is a faster version of the Helio G80. The success of its predecessors means that this SoC is very popular among Smartphone OEMs. You can find this SoC on devices like Infinix Hot 30, Note 12; Tecno Pova 3, Spark 10 Pro, Redmi 12, Redmi 10, Honor X8A, Realme C55, Narzo N55 etc.

Pros:

• Cheap
• Decent performance
• Runs many games well at mid to low settings

Cons:

• Can overheat during long gaming sessions
• Lacks optimization for some games

Qualcomm Snapdragon 680

The Snapdragon 680 was a surprise replacement for the Snapdragon 678. After some initial criticism, it has gone on to become a midrange mainstay. It was so successful that an updated version called the Snapdragon 685 was made to continue its legacy. You can find the Snapdragon 680 on phones like Samsung Galaxy A23, Redmi Note 11, Redmi 10c, Vivo Y22s, Vivo Y35, Huawei Nova Y90, Oppo A96 etc.

Pros:

• Decent performance
• Runs many games well at mid to low settings
• Very optimized for many games

Cons:

• It is expensive and that translates into a fairly costly phone
• Can get hot during a prolonged gaming session

Note:

The SoCs here are mostly lower midrange SoCs with a performance ceiling of around 320,000 AnTuTu. This is adequate to run games like eFootball 2023, PUBG Mobile, Genshin Impact, etc. but it is not good enough for more demanding titles like NBA 2K, Apex Legends, Fortnite, Call of Duty Warzone, After Life etc. Thus you should manage your expectations accordingly.