Snapdragon G Chips Are Here To Supercharge Android Gaming Handhelds

8 Gen chips for phones, X Elite chips for laptops, Cockpit Elite chips for vehicle infotainment systems and now G chips for handheld gaming consoles. Qualcomm is diversifying in the best of ways to offer more options to its OEM customers, based on whatever device form factor they want to go for. The Snapdragon G chips are designated for gaming and in a world where Android-based devices are engineered to run console-quality games, these chips could offer all the performance modern video games need to keep things going.

At the Game Developers Conference, Qualcomm announced its 2025 lineup of Snapdragon G Series chips purposefully designed to power handheld gaming devices. The updated portfolio consists of the Snapdragon G3 Gen 3, which is ideally the best platform for high-end handheld devices. The Snapdragon G2 Gen 2 comes in as the platform for midrange devices whereas the Snapdragon G1 Gen 2 is reserved for more accessible and entry-level portable consoles.

Taking an in-depth look into the Snapdragon G chips

Snapdragon G3 Gen 3: The top-spec model

Designed for uncompromised gaming experiences on portable devices, the Snapdragon G3 Gen 3 supports Lumen – a global illumination and reflections system as part of Unreal Engine 5. Qualcomm says that the G3 Gen 3 has a 30 per cent faster CPU performance whereas the graphics performance goes up by 28 per cent. There are notable improvements to power efficiency as well. With Wi-Fi 7, the gaming consoles can reduce latency and increase bandwidth to allow for great gameplay experiences.

Snapdragon G2 Gen 2: The one for midrange gadgets 

Qualcomm says that the G2 Gen 2 is aimed at offline and cloud gaming at 144 FPS while keeping an eye on power efficiency. Compared to the older Gen 1, the Gen 2 chips promise up to 2.3x more performance and up to 3.8x better GPU capabilities. Wi-Fi 7 remains a standard feature for faster and more reliable wireless connections.

Snapdragon G1 Gen 2 for low-end handhelds

For all those seeking an affordable handheld console, the Snapdragon G1 Gen 2 promises to deliver a gaming experience up to 1080p at 120 FPS over Wi-Fi connections. Qualcomm says that this chip is intended for cloud gaming rather than on-device performance. The brand promises up to 80 per cent faster CPU and 25 per cent faster graphical performance over the older generation chip. 

Are there big names associated?

The portable gaming console market is currently interested in making more Windows-based devices. Asus, MSI and Lenovo want to stick to Windows, thus allowing their customers a wider range of gaming titles to experience. Since most Android games can be played comfortably even on midrange devices, not many players are interested in doing an Android handheld gaming device. 

Hence, only a few lesser-known brands like AYANEO, ONEXSUGAR and Retroid Pocket will announce devices with Snapdragon G series chips over the coming days.

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