OnePlus gaming handheld leak points to strong performance with tweaked SoC

OnePlus is reportedly working on a gaming handheld, and a recent report has already hinted that it will be a unique offering in the market. While all the possible key selling points of the device haven't emerged yet, a new leak from Digital Chat Station hints that it will deliver strong performance.

The prolific leaker reports that the company has looked at the GPU of the Dimensity 9500 and has achieved good results. This tweaked GPU, which is the ARM Mali G1- Ultra MC12, can apparently offer "console-level" performance without any overclocks.

Digital Chat Station refers to it as a "significant leap," and hints that it will give the OnePlus gaming handheld an unfair advantage in the market. It's worth noting that while the Dimensity 9500 wasn't popular among gamers at first, the SoC did eventually get some attention (Dimensity 9500-equipped 12/256 GB Oppo Find X9 curr. $710.80 on TradingShenzhen) .

With better support for Mali GPUs on emulators, Dimensity SoCs are now in a better position against the Snapdragon chips. As for the Mali G1-Ultra MC12, it can handle almost all native Android AAA games easily, but it does struggle a bit in terms of PC game emulation.

However, as Digital Chat Station suggests, the tweaked version in the OnePlus gaming handheld could give the SoC a better stance. The leaker even notes that the performance bump will essentially make it a "mini Dimensity 9600." But then again, it's worth noting that the device itself is still in the rumor phase, and even if it exists, OnePlus may scrap the project entirely before announcing it. So, take these pieces of information with a grain of salt.