OnePlus 15 to debut with Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 SoC, 165Hz gaming ecosystem

OnePlus has positioned itself as a frontrunner in mobile gaming with the announcement made at the “OnePlus Gaming Conference 2025” in China. At the event, the company showcased the gaming capabilities of its upcoming flagship, the OnePlus 15, which will be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 mobile platform.

OnePlus also introduced its 165Hz ultra-high frame rate gaming ecosystem, promising the smoothest and most responsive gaming experience on a smartphone to date.

Earlier this week, the brand teased the display of the OnePlus 15, highlighting its 1.15mm ultra-slim bezels on all four sides, a flat screen design, and large R-angles, eliminating the traditional chin and enhancing both aesthetics and in-hand feel.

165Hz: The New Standard -

OnePlus has officially declared 165Hz refresh rate as the new benchmark for its performance devices. Both the upcoming OnePlus 15 and the performance-driven OnePlus Ace 6 will adopt this standard, with future OnePlus smartphones also expected to follow. While plans for tablets remain unclear, the company aims to push 165Hz high-refresh displays into the mainstream. (Notably, rivals like ASUS ROG had already introduced 165Hz screens three years ago.)

The jump from 120Hz to 165Hz delivers measurable improvements, including:

• A drop in frame refresh interval from 8ms to 6ms.
• A 10ms reduction in overall operation and picture delay.
• A 27% decrease in image ghosting.

The Enhanced ‘Fengchi Gaming Core’ -

At the center of OnePlus’s new gaming ecosystem lies the upgraded Fengchi Gaming Core, now delivering deeper integration between the CPU, GPU, and NPU for the first time. This redesigned architecture brings three major advancements:

• Open CPU Architecture – Unlocks low-level CPU architecture for more precise, task-specific energy optimization.
• NPU Optical Flow Rendering – Leverages the NPU for advanced optical flow rendering, allowing intelligent and accurate frame rate control.
• GPU Image Enhancement – Improves rendering of translucent scenes, solving one of the toughest challenges in complex gaming visuals.

Compared to its predecessor, the new Fengchi Gaming Core delivers a 29.8% boost in scheduler efficiency, reduces core load by 15.6%, and cuts overall power consumption by 11.7%.

From Lab to Gameplay -

OnePlus backed these upgrades with real-world benchmarks. In testing, the demanding title Delta Operation maintained a stable 165 FPS at ultra-high graphics settings.

To ensure immediate adoption, OnePlus partnered with developers to launch a lineup of optimized titles. The first wave covers five popular esports games across six genres, including fan favorites like Call of Duty Mobile and League of Legends Mobile.

A Vision for Competitive Dominance -

At the launch, OnePlus China head Louis Jie highlighted the competitive advantage of this new standard: “The 165Hz frame rate will dramatically enhance gaming precision, allowing FPS players to spot enemies faster, MOBA players to track jungle movements more easily, and fighting game enthusiasts to execute moves with pinpoint timing.”

To further enhance performance, OnePlus has also upgraded its “esports three-core” hardware solution, which strengthens network stability, touch responsiveness, and overall gameplay fluidity—ensuring every detail is tuned for high-level competition.

More details about the OnePlus 15 are expected to be revealed in the coming weeks.