I wasn't a believer when the gaming phone segment opened up several years ago. In my opinion, they couldn't bring any more performance than what top flagship devices already had, so what was the point? Well, I have to admit that I was wrong, and gaming phones outlived my beliefs that they wouldn't.
Asus is one of the few players in the space, and arguably the strongest one, right before Redmagic. The ROG Phone 9 series is launching this month and word is that the Pro model is going to bring a display with a refresh rate that breaks records—at least when it comes to phones you can buy globally.
The ROG Phone 9 Pro Is Expected To Have A 185Hz Refresh Rate
When I switched over from my Galaxy Note 10+ to my Galaxy S22 Ultra, I got to see, first-hand, the difference that a higher refresh rate display made, and honestly, I realized that I could never go back. Scrolling was so much smoother and a few of the games that I frequent took very good advantage of 120Hz. It's why I'm a little curious to see what 165Hz is like on the ROG Phone 8 or the Razr 50 Ultra.
If you're like me and you love high refresh rates for whatever reason, you're definitely going to love the next gaming phone expected from Asus. The ROG Phone 9 series is expected on November 19th, and the top model will be the ROG Phone 9 Pro.
However, we already know one thing that will make it worthy of a separate designation, at least when compared to regular flagships. According to Digital Chat Station, the ROG Phone 9 Pro is expected to have a 185Hz LTPO display. That'll make it the highest refresh rate display available on a phone in international markets. The rest of the package might not be for you, but you have to admit it's a little mouth-watering.
For Gaming, Developers Will Need To Intentionally Support This Refresh Rate
While this is amazing on paper, it is important to keep in mind that such a high (and slightly odd) refresh rate will need to be intentionally supported by developers to be able to take advantage of it. We saw a similar thing happen when 120Hz started to become mainstream.
If your favorite game simply refuses to incorporate support for higher refresh rates, then there's not much you can do. 120Hz is essentially a standard, so optimization for that isn't a worry. 185Hz will be entirely new, so Asus will need to work with the developers of the most popular titles to try and expedite optimized versions.
The Sharp Aquos R9 Has A 240Hz Display, But Good Luck Getting One
Now, I've tried to be very careful with the words I use, because, in the history of smartphones, the Asus ROG Phone 9 is far from having the highest refresh rate of all time.
You'll need to go over to Asia, particularly Japan, to find the Sharp Aquos R9. It might sound absolutely ridiculous, but it doubles the max refresh rate of most flagship devices—that's right, it has a 240Hz display.
The problem is if you don't live in Japan, Taiwan, Indonesia, or Singapore, you're going to have a pretty hard time getting your hands on this device. The ROG Phone 9 Pro might represent the first viable chance at getting a smartphone with a refresh rate much higher than “standard”.
