Shane
This year’s Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5 ticks a lot of boxes for me.
Thinner, lighter and a complete and flush fold when closed.
We all know that the Z Fold series is a phone a d tablet hybrid and one of the more unique and elite Android smartphones you can own.
A bigger screen gives you the advantage of split-screen apps, or just a larger screen for you to work a d play on.
And yes, this year’s Galaxy Z Fold5 is excellent for mobile gaming.
If you’re into your emulators, Android is the mobile option for you. Play (or replay) the classics from the glory days of cartridge gaming. This is made even better on a larger mobile screen for sure and you can connect an Xbox controller via Bluetooth to get a simulated console experience.
Speaking of… there’s Xbox Cloud.
If, like me you like to drop in and pick up where you left off on your Xbox Series games, the Galaxy Z Fold5 gives you that on a tablet like AMOLED screen.
But how about current mobile gaming?
There’s a few console quality titles on the Google Play store.
Pascal’s Wager, Asphalt Racing, Call of Duty Mobile, Fortnite, PUBG, Diablo Immortal and more.
Can the Galaxy Z Fold5 handle them and how does it impact battery life when you’re gaming on the go?
This year I decided to do something a little different and put the Galaxy Z Fold5 against an actual gaming smartphone, the ASUS ROG Pro 6.
Here’s a quick breakdown of the two devices specs; ASUS ROG Pro 6 has a Snapdragon Gen 1 processor, 18GB RAM and a 6,000mAh battery vs. the Galaxy Z Fold5 having a Snapdragon Gen 2, 12GB RAM and a 4,400mAh battery.
On the face of it you’d think the ROG Phone 6 Pro will be the clear winner… but hold up, the Galaxy Z Fold5 has a few surprises.
First up Call of Duty Mobile.
Now this game can be a power hogger and generally can chomp a fully charged battery in an hour or two of constant play.
The ASUS ROG Pro 6 has X Mode. This routes most of the smartphones resources to gaming. The ROG Pro 6 of course had no issue with COD Mobile, and from a full charge dented the battery life to 70%. For the same amount of play time on the Galaxy Z Fold5 and from a full charge, the Fold5 not only saw a reduced battery down to 55% and the Fold5 got a little warm at the back.
But Diablo Immortal was a bit different.
ASUS ROG Pro 6 handled well as expected, but oddly it lagged a few times in gameplay. Whereas the Fold5 was smooth and crispy, no lag and flawless, rendering in real time during a 2 hour play.
Battery life saw a 20% drop on the ROG Pro 6 and a 22% on the Fold5. And no heating this time.
Asphalt Racing was up next. A game designed by Gameloft to run fluidly on high end through to mid-range smartphones.
Arcade in gameplay, the ASUS ROG Pro 6 played well, real well, but there were moments where loading times seemed a bit longer than expected. Battery from a full charge after a 1 hour play bumped off 15%. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5 saw near-to zero load times and even more surprising was 11% was shaved off a fully charged battery for the same length of play.
Both devices were set to 120hz refresh.
So while the comparison was a mixed bag and the ASUS ROG Pro 6 has a Gen 1 processor saw the Galaxy Z Fold5 hold its own with faster processing speeds given it has a Gen 2 Snapdragon processor. RAM didn’t seem to be a thing for both phones and it was more comparative when it came to the battery handling.
The ASUS ROG Pro 6 with the larger battery would seem like it’s the clear winner. It was, but only by a smidgen.
So little was the difference between the two that if you’re using a Galaxy Z Fold5 for mobile gaming, the battery life will get you through no worries.
So, is the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5 a smartphone you can own as a serious gaming device?
Yup it sure is. It came out shining when pitted against one of the world’s most powerful gaming phones. In some areas it out shines the ASUS ROG Pro 6.
Not only this, you can’t get any better than that large 120hz screen. Gaming becomes more immersive, more intense and more competitive.
If you’re a casual to serious mobile gamer, and have been teetering on the edge of going into the Folds, the Galaxy Z Fold5 has the goods to get you gaming like a pro – and the advantage of that larger screen.