Qualcomm, the world’s leading mobile chipset maker and Chinese giant Tencent have announced that they have joined forces to make a Tencent-backed 5G-powered gaming smartphone using Qualcomm chip.
Not just one smartphone, but it seems that the partnership is aimed at making the Chinese company’s video games play better on Qualcomm Snapdragon-powered devices. As per the agreement, future Tencent games could be “optimized” for Android phones that run Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Elite gaming chips.
Tencent, China’s largest mobile software company with a market capitalization of $453 billion, reported lower profits last year after the Chinese government stopped approving games for several months. However, the company received permission to launch major title Perfect World Mobile in the January-March quarter.
Both companies have already worked together on a gaming phone. Earlier this month, Tencent partnered with Asustek Computer’s gaming device division, Republic of Games, to introduce Asus ROG Phone 2 — next-generation gaming smartphone powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 Plus chipset.
Apart from that, both Tencent and Qualcomm aim to jointly work on the 5G version of the gaming smartphone, which could help bolster Tencent’s plans for a streaming game service. The faster connection speeds of 5G could allow streaming of more complex games to mobile devices.
In a statement regarding this new development, Qualcomm China chairman Frank Meng said: “Mobile gaming, an important 5G use case, will soon take advantage of the next generation of connectivity. Faster speeds, more bandwidth, and cutting edge ultra-low latency will support real-time, multi-player and immersive gaming experience.”
Tencent is currently working on a cloud-based backend service called Instant Play that game developers could use to power streaming games. However, the company has not yet revealed plans for its consumer-facing streaming service, but it’s expected to launch soon.
(Source)
