Qualcomm is preparing to introduce the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 later this month, and early reports suggest that the new chipset may deliver notable efficiency improvements for mobile gaming. The SoC is said to be manufactured on TSMC’s third-generation 3nm N3P process, which offers refinements over the N3E technology used in previous designs.
Although the difference between N3E and N3P is considered incremental, leaked information indicates that Qualcomm has been able to unlock additional performance and energy gains. According to details shared by tipster Digital Chat Station, engineering samples of the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 achieve better framerates in gaming while drawing less power compared to the current Snapdragon 8 Elite.
Earlier reports from the same source suggested that the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 maintained a similar power profile to its predecessor while increasing performance. However, the latest leak points to Qualcomm working on additional optimizations aimed specifically at gaming workloads. The chipset is rumored to reduce power consumption during graphically demanding titles by at least 1W. While this may appear to be a modest adjustment, even a small reduction can have a meaningful impact on heat management and sustained gameplay on mobile devices.
Qualcomm’s broader objective is reportedly to lower the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5’s total power draw to around 5W. Achieving this would help reduce heat generation while extending battery life, both of which are important factors for users who play resource-intensive games on smartphones.
Details on the actual tests performed remain unclear, as the leak does not specify which games or benchmarks were used to measure these improvements. It is also worth noting that most AAA titles are still not natively available on Android, meaning that emulation or streaming remains the primary method for accessing them. Even so, Qualcomm’s ongoing tuning suggests that the new chipset is being prepared to better handle demanding mobile gaming scenarios.
The official announcement of the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 is expected later this month, where Qualcomm is likely to provide a more comprehensive overview of performance, efficiency, and thermal management. Until then, the available information points toward a flagship SoC designed to push mobile gaming efficiency further while maintaining competitive performance.
