Snapdragon G3 Gen 3 for Handheld Consoles With Support for Ray Tracing, Quad HD+ 144Hz Displays Launched

Qualcomm has unveiled three new Snapdragon G series chips for handheld gaming consoles, including the high-end Snapdragon G3 Gen 3. It offers support for 144Hz Quad HD+ displays we well as ray tracing and Unreal Engine 5's Lumen system. On the other hand, the company's Snapdragon G2 Gen 2 processor will power midrange devices with support for Wi-Fi 7 connectivity like its more expensive sibling. The entry-level Snapdragon G1 Gen 2 chip offers 1080p gameplay at 120fps and is designed for cloud gaming devices.

Snapdragon G3 Gen 3 Specifications

The newly unveiled Snapdragon G3 Gen 3 is an octa-core chipset that comprises one prime core, five performance cores and two efficiency cores. It has an Adreno A32 GPU and is the first processor in the Snapdragon G series to feature support for ray tracing and Lumen on Unreal Engine 5.

The new Snapdragon G series
Photo Credit: Qualcomm

Manufacturers can equip Snapdragon G3 Gen 3-powered devices with up to 144Hz Quad HD+ displays. They will also offer support for Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity. Qualcomm claims that the Snapdragon G3 Gen 3 delivers an 30 percent and 28 percent better performance in GPU and GPU performance over its predecessor (the Snapdragon G3x Gen 2), respectively.

Snapdragon G2 Gen 2, Snapdragon G1 Gen 2 Specifications

Both the Snapdragon G2 Gen 2 and Snapdragon G1 Gen 2 are octa-core chips designed for midrange and entry-level models, respectively. Compared with its more powerful sibling, the Snapdragon G2 Gen 2 has one less performance core and one extra efficiency core, paired with an Adreno A22 GPU. Meanwhile, the Snapdragon G1 Gen 2 has two performance cores and six efficiency cores, alongside an Adreno A12 GPU.

(L to R) Ayaneo Pocket S2, OneXSugar Sugar 1 and Retroid Pocket Classic
Photo Credit: Qualcomm

Qualcomm says that devices powered by the Snapdragon G2 Gen 2 can also be equipped with 144Hz Quad HD+ displays, while the entry level chip supports 1080p displays with a 120Hz refresh rate. The Snapdragon G2 Gen 2 offers the same connectivity as the Snapdragon G3 Gen 3. On the other hand, the Snapdragon G1 Gen 2 comes with support for Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth 5.1.

Snapdragon G Series Availability

Ayaneo, OneXSugar, and Retroid Pocket are expected to launch new handheld gaming consoles with these chipsets in the coming weeks, according to Qualcomm. Both the upcoming Ayaneo Pocket S2 and the OneXSugar Sugar 1 from OneXPlayer  will be equipped with a Snapdragon G3 Gen 3 chip. On the other hand, the Retroid Pocket Classic will arrive with a Snapdragon G1 Gen 2 processor, according to the chipmaker.