Smartphone display refresh rates have evolved significantly over the past few years. Earlier, 60Hz was the standard refresh rate for most phones. However, as mobile chipsets became more powerful, manufacturers began offering higher refresh rates to enhance user experience with smoother animations and scrolling. This trend has also extended to mobile gaming, where higher refresh rates can provide smoother gameplay.
Beyond the 120Hz Standard
Currently, 120Hz is the common refresh rate for many Android and iPhone models. Yet, some brands are pushing the limits further. For example, the OnePlus 15 supports a refresh rate of up to 165Hz on its 1.5K display. According to company officials, technical constraints prevented the use of a 2K panel at this high refresh rate, which influenced the design shift from the previous OnePlus 13 model.
Honor’s Win series goes even further with a 185Hz refresh rate, matching Asus’s ROG Phone 9 gaming flagship from 2024. This raises the question: do these ultra-high refresh rates actually benefit gamers?
Game Support and Performance
The benefits of high refresh rates depend heavily on game compatibility. Only games updated to utilise higher frame rates—often through frame rate interpolation—can take full advantage of such displays. Additionally, the smartphone’s hardware must consistently render these high frame counts.
OnePlus has listed several games compatible with the OnePlus 15’s high refresh rate, including Call of Duty: Mobile, Arena Breakout, Delta Force, League of Legends: Wild Rift, Naruto Mobile, and CrossFire. Meanwhile, Honor’s Win series supports around 20 games, such as CrossFire, PUBG Mobile, Honor of Kings, and Honkai: Star Rail.
Both brands appear to be collaborating with developers to expand support, but for now, only a small fraction of games available on app stores take full advantage of refresh rates above 120Hz.
Practicality or Marketing Gimmick?
While enabling frame rate interpolation can offer smoother gameplay in supported titles, its impact is limited to select games. Outside gaming, these ultra-high refresh rates do not affect general user interface interactions, contrary to some marketing claims. Therefore, this feature remains niche and may not be a decisive factor for most buyers.
For gamers, prioritising sustained performance and effective cooling systems in a smartphone might be more beneficial than focusing solely on refresh rates. However, if you frequently play games that support refresh rates above 165Hz, opting for such a display could enhance your gaming experience.
The Road Ahead
Looking forward, wider adoption of ultra-high refresh rate displays by smartphone makers could encourage more game developers to optimise their games beyond 120fps. Brands like iQOO, Nubia (with its RedMagic sub-brand), Asus ROG, OnePlus, and Honor have already incorporated 120Hz+ panels in their premium devices. If these displays become more common in performance-oriented smartphones, it may prompt broader developer support.
It will also be interesting to see if frame interpolation technology extends its benefits beyond gaming in the future.
Ultimately, whether to prioritise screen refresh rate when purchasing a smartphone depends on your gaming habits and the type of games you play.
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