People Demand for Power
Without doubt, consumers now demand for more powerful smartphones, but an affordable cost.
If you take a look at the chart that IDC posted last October 1, ultra low-end and low-end devices dominate the price band spectrum of the industry. A year later, you would notice a significant shift in the spectrum where ultra low-end decreased, while both low-end and mid-range increased.
The rise of midrange smartphones in the spectrum spell out the demand of consumers to use smartphones that can meet with their demands, which typically fall within the bounds of mobile gaming.
Games Demand for Power
MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena) and battle royale are usually the new game genres that require high specifications, but there was a seeming disconnect as most mobile phones that are able to play these games are either too expensive or can get literally too hot to handle because of cooling issues.
New brands came up with their own ways to cope up to this demand. Some brands like OPPO and VIVO use software tweaking in partnership with their chipset maker to smoothen gaming performance. This way, even their low-tier devices are able to play supported games, for as long as such games are made to work with the software tweak built into their phones. One major flaw here though is the development time and performance stability of these games. If a game, for instance, is not supported by the software optimization, performance issues are likely to be experienced.
On the other hand, there are smartphone makers that go the hardware-route, which is a superior route albeit too pricey to pull off. Apple, Samsung, Razer and ASUS Republic of Gamers dabble in this space with their chipset game, cooling features and screen technology.
Each route has its own merit, but neither provides the consistent yet cost-efficient way of providing the acceptable performance of games for consumers. In 2018, things started to change when Huawei introduced GPU Turbo, and it promises up to 60% and 30% GPU and CPU efficiency accordingly.
This August 2018, Huawei pushed a patch to Huawei Nova 3 with GPU Turbo update. Prior to this update, the performance of games like PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds Mobile performed really well by our standards and improved much better after the patch roll-out.
Since Huawei Nova 3’s chipset is engineered to be compatible with GPU Turbo framework, games like PUBG Mobile and Mobile Legends performed with flying colors. As this is a mix of software and hardware improvement on games, there is one caveat that lingers among devices with GPU Turbo – development of game compatibility to the technology.
Every month, the list of new games that support GPU Turbo are increasing, albeit in a slow rollout. This is acceptable though as we have seen the improvement of supported games versus its performance prior to GPU Turbo compatibility
Huawei Nova 3 carries with it this technology that makes it stand out in the competition. The latter pushes the phone’s capabilities to its limits, and we have experienced this first hand. There was a tremendous improvement in the games we played, and we are looking forward to more games that will be fully optimized for GPU Turbo.
This game acceleration technology does not mean that it only works on optimized games. It also works in other mobile games. Today we’re giving you 5 new mobile games that you can enjoy with your brand-spanking Huawei Nova 3 with GPU Turbo.
Monster Hunter Stories
Originally developed for the Nintendo 3DS, the game gives Android users their first experience of a Monster Hunter title on mobile devices. Monster Hunter Freedom Unite didn’t officially come to Android unless you jack an ISO copy of your PSP game to PPSSPP PlayStation Portable Emulator.
Monster Hunter Stories brings mobile gamers to an environment a little similar to other Monster Hunter Games. You’ve got an HQ to go to, island to roam around, scavenge items and turn in your completed missions. Unlike Freedom Unite though, you’re not tasked to hunt big or sometimes terrifying monsters. You are instead tasked to hunt eggs, which can be hatched and bring along with you.
The game costs PhP1,050 on Android Play, but you can easily get a demo copy for you to get a feel of the game works. Click this to download the free demo.
Can Nova 3 handle it? Yes! Even with no GPU Turbo, the game runs smoothly on the system. Turning it on will improve performance, and will stick with impressive average frame time.
Portal Knights
Available on multiple platforms, Portal Knights for Android launched last November 2017 and it’s one of the best survival action multiplayer games you can buy for PhP305.
The game gives you the liberty to roam around various regions. It provides a sandbox environment where you can build, do missions and fight off monsters in exchange of loot. It gives mobile gamers a pseudo-Minecraft mix with impressive graphical and sandbox features. If you’re looking for a game that you can play by your own or with a friend (locally via same Wi-Fi connection), this is the game you would want to get from Play Store.
Can Nova 3 handle it? Yes, but stick with 2nd to the last quality settings. The game has 5 notches of quality settings to choose from, the 5th one being the best. At Quality 5, I noticed the game struggles to reach 30fps. You are assured of 60fps gameplay at Quality 2. Don’t worry, as the game still looks really great at that level. Don’t expect PC-quality graphics, but the quality level is still good.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Nothing beats this old-school action game, remastered for Android. The game features high-resolution graphics built for mobile devices, customizable controls, compatibility with game controllers and improved visual experience with adjustable graphic settings.
Perhaps, apart from graphics, people still buy and play this game because of its action-packed story and memorable characters. It has over 70 hours of gameplay, and the level of replayability and open-work exploration is amazing delights for mobile gamers.
Can Nova 3 handle it? Absolutely! It is highly optimized for mobile platform to begin with. I tried playing the game on Nova 3, and it played really well on the device. We encountered some graphical glitches, but it didn’t affect gameplay performance.
Final Fantasy IX
This game always brings back the nostalgia of the olden days of RPG. Optimized for Android, Final Fantasy IX brings its classic JRPG genre and unforgettable story to mobile devices.
Follow the story of Zidane and the Tantalus Theater Troupe with their quest to save the kidnapped Princess Garnet. Prepare to meet famous Final Fantasy universe’s recurring summon monsters or Eidolons in remastered glory on your Huawei Nova 3.
The game also has new features that make your gameplay experience much enjoyable: achievements, 7 game boosters and no encounter mode and autosaves.
Can Nova 3 handle it? Yes! The game seems not to crunch Nova 3’s GPU and CPU capabilities at all. Also, you also don’t need to worry about its 4GB space requirement as Nova 3 has more than enough storage space for it (118gb installable storage space at boot).
Darkness Rises
Impressive game graphics and design – check. Innovative gameplay – check. Darkness Rising is probably one of the best looking F2P action RPG available for Android. We are still waiting for Black Desert Mobile, but this game already satisfies us with everything it offers.
Both character creation is PC-gaming level, and amazing to see it work on a mobile device like the Nova 3. It certainly pushes the smartphone to its maximum with its level of character and environment design.
It is free to play, so expect microtransaction promotions throughout the gameplay. You can definitely finish and enjoy the game without any purchasing anything, but with the level of detail and enjoyment you can get when you buy some of its offerings, you might be encouraged to fall into its sweet trap.
Can Nova 3 handle it? Of course! Default preset graphics was set at Mid, with graphics quality and screen refresh rate are set at mid. Gameplay performance are almost the same with default and maxed out graphics enabled. It’s a highly optimized game, and built to be played with a smartphone like Nova 3.
Giancarlo Viterbo is a Filipino Technology Journalist, blogger and Editor of gadgetpilipinas.net, He is also a Geek, Dad and a Husband. He knows a lot about washing the dishes, doing some errands and following instructions from his boss on his day job. Follow him on twitter: @gianviterbo and @gadgetpilipinas.
