If you’re on a short budget and looking for a smartphone that will run all your favorite 3D games then this article is for you. I recommend you to check out Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro. The smartphone was launched late last year, however, the specifications are still powerful enough. But why am I recommending you an older device? Well, the Redmi Note 8 Pro is still on par and even better in some aspects than its successor.
I am also an owner of Redmi Note 8 Pro. I bought the device in November 2019, which is just a month after it’s launch. I am in authority to share my personal opinions since I have been using it as my primary device for eight months. I will keep this review short, and to the point especially keeping gaming in mind. First of all, let’s start with gaming on this device.
Redmi Note 8 Pro – Gaming
Being a gamer, a high performing GPU is a necessity. Couple it with RAM, Display, and Battery. But at the end of the day, it all depends upon the chipset. If you have a display with a higher refresh rate, make sure the chipset is powerful enough, or, if you have a big battery but not a power-efficient chipset, then it’s of no good. Hence, for all the mobile gamers out there, you need a strong chipset.
Redmi Note 8 Pro comes with Helio G90T chipset which is from MediaTek. The chipset is from the “G” family of MediaTek, which is now popular enough for their GPU performance. The chipset comes with Mali-G76 MC4 GPU which is powerful enough to run any game thrown at it. My favorite mobile game is PUBG-M, and before it’s ban, I used to play it for hours non-stop. Without GFX tools, Redmi Note 8 Pro was able to play the game at Smooth+Extreme giving stable 55-60fps. Moreover, the device goes to HDR settings with Ultra frame rate which provides 30 to 40fps on average. If you want to know of how PUBG Mobile runs on Redmi Note 8 Pro, then feel free to check out the video below. PUBG mobile starts at 5:00 minutes.
The smartphone also supports Fortnite, and it was kind of playable. Though, I won’t include Fortnite as I classify it as a poorly ported game for Android. Talking about COD: Mobile, the phone supports the up to very high graphics and limited to just a high frame rate. And also supports very high settings with a very high frame rate. In a nutshell, it can run any of the high-end competitive game with good frame rates.
Does Redmi Note 8 Pro Heat Up While Gaming?
MediaTek is known for its horrible overheating problem. Hence, many people are afraid of buying devices. In this case, Xiaomi opted for a water cooling technology that eventually cools down the device. I would say I didn’t felt any heating issues till extreme, yes it gets warm after gaming. But as I mentioned before, I used to play hours of PUBG Mobile with charging and faced no fps drop and heat issues.
Camera
Since many of us here are gaming geeks, so I am focusing on gaming here. However, the Redmi Note 8 Pro is an all-rounder. The phone features 64-megapixels Samsung Bright GW1 sensor paired up with 8-megapixel ultra-wide, two 2-megapixels macros, and a depth sensor. The pictures captured by the device are of great quality. The dynamic range is also good for a mid-ranger. They could have improved the camera setup with a telephoto lens instead of a macro, but overall the camera setup is good.
However, for the streamers out there who want to have face cam with their streaming, I was not satisfied with the front camera. In artificial lighting conditions, the front camera is not great even though its a 16-megapixel shooter.
Display
There is a 6.53-inch HDR display on Note 8 Pro. For gamers, the display on Redmi Note 8 Pro might disappoint you. If you play a game that supports a higher refresh rate, then my friend Note 8 Pro is not for you. However, overall the display quality is good especially with the addition of HDR.
Battery
The phone rocks a 4500 mAh battery where you also get 18W fast charging. The phone comes with an 18W fast charger so you won’t have to buy an extra one. The battery backup is good. I got 8 hours of screen on time on a moderate usage day. 15% of battery juice was used by an almost 15-minute PUBG gameplay.
Why Not Note 9 Series?
The Redmi Note 9 series is now available globally. But I didn’t switch to the Note 9 series. The reason number one is the chipset used on Note 9 series isn’t an upgrade. Snapdragon 720G (used on Note 9S and Note 9 Pro) is on par with Helio G90T. In some cases, like graphical power, Note 8 Pro is ahead. As an example, PUBG Mobile can’t run at an extreme frame rate on Note 9 Pro.
Other Options?
Realme 6 is a good alternative to Redmi Note 8 Pro. But I won’t recommend it since a cooling option is a necessity which isn’t present on Realme 6 and that’s the reason for not recommending it. In my opinion, Redmi Note 8 Pro still is the lower mid-range gaming king, thanks to the Helio G90T with a cooling system.
Read Also: Redmi Note 9 & Note 9 Pro Launched in Pakistan Starting At Rs.32,999
