Is the OPPO Reno13 5G secretly a gaming power house? See why here:

OPPO Reno13 5G has been around for several weeks, and we decided to see how the phone can handle demanding mobile games.

OPPO Reno13 5G with Butterfly design

Can it take the heat?

To recap, the recently launched the OPPO Reno13 5G priced at PHP 34,999, has a 120Hz 6.59-inch Flexible AMOLED FHD+ screen, a 4nm MediaTek Dimensity 8350 octa-core processor, an ARM Turse G615 GPU, 12GB LPDDR5X RAM, 512GB UFS 3.1, and a 5,600mAh battery with 80W SUPERVOOC fast charging.

OPPO boasts that the new MediaTek Dimensity 8350 is cooled with an AI Multi-Cooling system and a 4,619mm2 area vapor chamber, which work together to deliver superior cooling while maintaining low power consumption.

In addition to that, the OPPO Reno13 5G's Dual Stereo, X-axis linear motor, and O-haptics supposedly work together to enhance overall feedback while gaming, which should result in more immersive and responsive gaming.

OPPO's AI HyperBoost launches with the game app

Alongside ColorOS 15 is OPPO's AI HyperBoost. It pops up when users launch a game, and it uses AI algorithms to intelligently manage resources, optimize performance, and ensure a smooth and lag-free gaming experience. It is a combination of intelligent resource management, frame rate stabilization, temperature control, and performance optimization.

AnTuTu and 3D Mark Solar Ray and Wild Life Extreme scores

After extensive benchmark testing, we noticed that the phone was underperforming after subsequent tests in High-Performance mode. The cooling system has difficulty with continuous High-Performance Mode benchmarks and games. We recommend playing games on the phone on the default Balanced Performance mode.

Call of Duty: Mobile on the OPPO Reno13 5G

In Call of Duty: Mobile, the graphics settings can be pushed to very high quality while having a Max frame rate. If you choose to select the ultra frame rate, the graphics quality drops dramatically to low graphics quality. 

When playing at Very High graphics quality with Max frame rate, the visuals are pleasing enough, with a smooth and consistent frame rate. This was true even after an hour of playing Call of Duty: Mobile. The phone warmed up as expected but never reached concerning temperatures. 

The touch screen was also very responsive in accurate in registering our taps and gestures.

Pokemon Unite graphics settings and live gameplay screenshot

In Pokemon Unite, the recommended graphics quality and frame rate are both the 'high' setting. In actual gameplay, the game is stable and smooth consistently even after an hour of continuous play. We never felt like it was misread or taps and gestures, nor did the frame rate drop at any moment.

We enjoyed Pokemon Unite on the OPPO Reno13 5G. No issues.

 Genshin Impact graphics settings and live gameplay screenshot

Lastly, in Genshin Impact, the phone's default graphics setting is medium at 30fps. Historically, in the past few years, the medium graphics settings were usually locked to the flagship phones of the time. This year, we have seen more mid-rangers getting to unlock this setting, while the flagships unlock the high graphics setting.

In Genshin Impact, the graphics are decent at medium, but when in combat where there will be a lot of animations on screen, the phone will stutter or have frame rate drops. We recommend setting the graphics lower and increasing the frame rate to 60fps. In both settings, the phone warmed up, but it never got uncomfortably war,m even after an hour of gameplay.

Overall, we were surprised at how premium mid-range phones these days can offer performance near to what flagships offered a few years ago. Not only are they more durable with an IP69 dust and water resistance rating, but premium mid-range phones today can have decent cooling even with all the protection. 

The OPPO Reno13 5G can handle most games in Balanced Performance Mode. However, we had to tweak a few settings to get the best possible frame rate for Genshin Impact, and we were still able to get a good gaming experience. 

Mobile gaming continues to get better with better hardware being more accessible. Hopefully, game developers can optimize their games better, too.

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