Motorola makes some really good phones. Their eye-catching design preferences, especially for the Edge series, always have my attention. Most of them bring excellent value for the money, making them a great choice for the majority. However, there is always a big question mark on whether Motorola phones are reliable partner for gaming on-the-go?
The mobile gaming industry has had a historic rise in recent years. This has also led to many technological advancements, making them stand against PC gaming. Currently valued at around $100 billion, the mobile gaming industry is expected to hit approximately $119 billion in value by 2027 with a compound annual growth rate of 6.39%, per Statista.
Asus ROG and Nubia’s Red Magic are the leading brands in smartphone gaming. But where does Motorola stand on the chart? Let’s look at various factors to determine if you can trust Motorola phones for your gaming needs.
Chipset
Choosing the right chipset is the most crucial part as it defines the processing limits of a device. The Moto E-lineup consists of entry-level phones with not-so-powerful chipsets but they can smoothly run everyday tasks. They are not suitable for gaming.
The Moto G-series is also not gaming-friendly, but there are some phones like the Moto G75 (Snapdragon 6 Gen 3), Moto G85 (Snapdragon 6s Gen 3), and Moto G55 (Dimensity 7025) with decent mid-range chips to offer a smoother gaming experience in popular titles like PUBG Mobile, Pokemon Unite, and Call of Duty: Mobile, though not at extreme settings.
The Edge and Razr lineups are where you’ll find the most powerful chips in Motorola phones. The Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 is the most powerful chip right now for Motorola phones, powering the Razr+ (2024) (aka Razr 50 Ultra) and Edge 50 Ultra running the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 chip. While it’s a flagship chip, there exist better options with more powerful CPU and GPU, such as Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and Snapdragon 8 Elite, but Motorola is yet to bring phones with those chips.
So, Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 is the best you can get on a Motorola phone. It’s a solid choice for most people, but those looking for the best smartphone gaming experience should go with a more powerful chip, such as Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, Snapdragon 8 Elite, or Dimensity 9400.
Cooling mechanism
With a lot of processing comes a large amount of heat, and that’s when the cooling system comes into play. Phones with advanced cooling systems, such as vapor chambers or heat pipes, can efficiently manage heat and let users enjoy a prolonged gaming session without performance drops.
Even if you have a device with a flagship chipset but mediocre heat management, it may struggle with high-end games, as it will reduce performance upon reaching a high temperature. Unfortunately, most Motorola phones lack a powerful cooling system. Motorola Edge 50 is one of them, having a vapor chamber.
So, the bottom line is that Motorola doesn’t focus on bringing the best gaming experience. However, that doesn’t mean they are too bad at gaming. You can still enjoy most of the high-end games out there.
Software and gaming features
Motorola phones offer a near-stock Android experience, and that’s great. They are not bloated with unnecessary apps, unlike most brands. So, having limited apps means more free RAM and storage, which means more resources for your favorite games.
I like the clean software experience on Motorola phones, but they lack some gaming features you’ll find on other gaming devices. They come with Moto Gametime gaming suite that includes features like Block calls, Block notifications, Locked mode (turns off system navigation, gestures, quick settings), High performance (allocates more resources to the game), Screenshot, Screen record, and Acoustic light (adds visual effects to your gaming experience).
Motorola phones also have the RAM boost feature for faster app launches and seamless app transitions.
Verdict
Motorola smartphones offer a well-rounded experience with their clean software, eye-catching designs, and decent performance. However, when it comes to gaming, they fall short of being the ultimate choice. While the Edge and Razr series pack capable hardware, they lack advanced cooling systems and gaming-specific features that further limits their appeal for hardcore gamers.
That said, if you’re a casual gamer who values a clean Android experience and doesn’t push games to their absolute limits, Motorola phones can still meet your needs. But if gaming performance is your top priority, you’re better off exploring options with more powerful chipsets and advanced thermal management systems.
More Motorola stories:
1. Why a gaming Motorola phone would be amazing
2. The best-looking Motorola phones you can buy
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