Qualcomm is a big player when it comes to chipsets in today’s market and in the past few days, it has launched a couple of new products. These new products include the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3, and Snapdragon 7c+ Gen 3 for smartphones and Windows devices. Now, the American technology giant has launched the Snapdragon G3x Gen 1 which is a dedicated chipset for handheld game consoles like the Nintendo Switch.
Qualcomm Snapdragon G3x Gen 1
There are not many hardware details about this chipset but there are some vague specifications available for it. It uses Kyro CPU cores and has an Adreno GPU with updateable drivers for gaming optimizations. It has support for true 10- HDR gaming with support for up to a billion colors.
It has support for sharing content to a connected external display with up to 4K resolution at 144 FPS which is mind-blowing. Qualcomm also claims that it has industry-leading performance per watt for sustained performance. It also supports different new Qualcomm performance enhancement technologies.
As for connectivity, it comes with Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth. It also supports 5G networks (both mmWave and sub-6). These options will ensure that you enjoy a low-latency connection while gaming.
Aside from being used in handheld consoles, Qualcomm sees the Snapdragon G3x Gen 1 being used in micro consoles, set-top boxes, and even smart TV sticks.
Snapdragon G3x Handheld Development Kit
To show developers how powerful this chipset can be, Qualcomm has partnered with Razer, a company with experience in building gaming rigs to create the Snapdragon G3x Handheld Development Kit. This kit is only a demo so it won’t be sold to consumers on the market.
This kit has an HDR OLED display with a 120 Hz high refresh rate. It is driven by the exclusive Adreno GPU and has an active cooling system for consistent performance even at high resolution and frame rates.
As for audio, it comes with 4-way speakers and has support for Snapdragon Sound.
The development kit has support for DisplayPort over USB-C it can output to a 4K TV or monitor. The USB-C port can also be used to power AR and VR headsets.
As for software, Qualcomm is presently focusing on Android being the OS for the G3x to run on but it is open to other platforms in the future. This is a great choice because there are more games on Android when compared to other platforms.
Qualcomm is working with a company that specializes in mapping on-screen controls to hardware joysticks, triggers, and buttons as most Android games use touchscreen controls.
However, the Snapdragon G3x will still have native support for controllers as well as game streaming so it will be favorable to steamers. It will also support stereo haptics feedback.
It comes with a built-in 6,000 mAh battery but this is something any OEM can decide. The device has a nice ergonomic design that makes it suitable for gaming over a long period. Also, there is a 1080p webcam on the front of this kit, so streamers won’t need additional hardware to add a talking head commentary.
Presently, there’s no information from Qualcomm on when we’ll see commercially available devices powered by the Snapdragon G3x chipsets, but I feel we’d see some in 2022.
