Gaming phones have usurped a major share of the portable gaming device market. Although brands like ASUS have gone so far as to make phones for games like the ROG Phone 5, which offer functionality similar to a game console, the Nintendo Switch is still at the top. Its ability to be used as a portable gaming device or a dedicated console that can be connected to a larger screen has made it extremely popular. While an updated Nintendo Switch is due to arrive later this year, chip maker Qualcomm is also working on its own gaming console with a Snapdragon chipset and running a modified version of Android 12.
A report earlier this week revealed that chip maker Qualcomm envisioned a portable game console with functionality similar to the Nintendo Switch. It is even suggested to come with detachable controllers like Nintendo’s Joy-Con. Although the integrated chipset has not yet been confirmed, Qualcomm’s console can come with 5G connectivity, support for Quick Charge, a robust 6,000 mAh battery and support for SD card.
If you see the light of day next year, it will be able to run on Android 12. Running on top of Android, the game console features a custom launcher made for games and may even include the Epic Games launcher for easy access to Fifteen days. The console is expected to cost less than $ 300, making it unlikely that the Snapdragon 800 chipset will be packaged under the hood.
If Qualcomm delves into the handheld game console segment, we could see a viable alternative to the Nintendo Switch for reasons other than price. The NVIDIA Tegra chip that powers the switch is old and has a relatively weak CPU, even compared to most mid-range Qualcomm SoCs. Therefore, Qualcomm’s experience as a chipset manufacturer can help it offer greater performance than the Nintendo Switch and Switch Lite at a lower price.
The biggest problem, of course, is the size difference between the Android and Nintendo game libraries. The number of AAA games available on the Switch – both from Nintendo and from third-party studios – far exceeds the number of titles available on Android. Still, the number of high-quality games on Android is growing with recent additions, such as Final Fantasy VIII: Remastered, Impact Genshin, and Spongebob Squarepants: Battle for Bikini Bottom Rehydrated. Android is also a much more capable platform for retro console emulation, which is admittedly a niche, but has an increasing number of fans.
What do you think of this news? Would you be interested in purchasing this product as soon as it is released? Will Qualcomm’s entry spark interest in developing or porting AAA titles to Android? Share your opinion in the comments below!
Image shown: Nintendo Switch running an Android 10 port