Qualcomm Snapdragon G Series SoCs for Gaming Handhelds, Consoles Announced

Qualcomm has updated its Snapdragon G series portfolio of SoCs, which are tailored specifically for gaming. The new Snapdragon G3 Gen 3, G2 Gen 2 and G1 Gen 2 will soon power new gaming handhelds and consoles based on Android, as well as cloud gaming clients. Ayaneo and Retroid Pocket are among the OEMs to announce that they will ship devices based on these SoCs this quarter. 

The company’s announcement states that the new G Series chips will enable cloud gaming as well as console, Android, and PC games, which could indicate that a variety of form factors are in development, and there could be support for other operating system platforms or emulation.

The top-end Snapdragon G3 Gen 3 is aimed at premium personal gaming devices. It delivers 30 percent better CPU performance than its predecessor with eight custom Kryo cores including one prime core and five performance cores. Qualcomm claims 28 percent faster graphics with its new integrated Adreno A32 GPU. This GPU introduces support for Unreal Engine 5’s Lumen dynamic lighting and reflections framework, as well as hardware ray tracing, frame generation, and upscaling. It can drive displays at up to 144Hz at QHD+ resolution. Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.3 are also supported for premium gaming experiences with low latency.

The Snapdragon G2 Gen 2 has more modest specifications with one prime and four performance CPU cores, and the Adreno A22 GPU. It promises a balance of performance and power efficiency, but is still significantly faster than Qualcomm’s previous model in this segment. It supports the same display and connectivity standards.

At the bottom of the stack is the Snapdragon G1 Gen2 which is targeted at entry-level cloud gaming devices for cost-conscious customers. It also has an octa-core CPU, but with two performance cores and six efficiency cores. The Adreno A12 GPU can power a 1080p display at up to 120Hz. It supports Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth 5.1.

Ayaneo has announced its Pocket S2 handheld console and Gaming Pad tablet at the ongoing Game Developers’ Conference 2025, in San Francisco. The Pocket S2 features the Snapdragon G3 Gen 3, a 6.3-inch 1440p IPS display, and an optimised cooling system. It has an all-metal body and upgraded Hall effect joysticks as well as linear trigger buttons. The company promises long battery life and comfortable use over long periods. 

The Ayaneo Gaming Pad is an Android tablet with an 8.3-inch 1440p 120Hz screen, the same SoC and a “gaming-grade” active cooling system with a fan, six-axis gyros, and quad-chamer speakers. It also has a metal body, but with a transparent glass back. It will be compatible with clip-on gaming controllers.