Technologies

The OnePlus 15 Is One of the Best Mainstream Phones for Gamers

How does a phone with a battery nearly 50% larger than other high-end phones work for gaming? We do the gamer science.

If you’re a mobile gamer, you know the bliss of playing anywhere you want to go — and the anxious downside of draining your phone’s battery as you do. That’s why the OnePlus 15‘s massive 7,300-mAh battery makes this a promising handset for the discerning gamer on the go. Presumably, you’ll be able to play for longer without draining your phone down to low capacity.

The reality is a little more complicated, partially because the OnePlus 15’s advantages can be diminished if graphics and the frame rate are cranked up to the max. It’s a good problem to have, as the phone’s premium specs give it a higher ceiling for performance. However, gamers who aren’t careful can drain their batteries nearly as quickly as other top-tier phones.

Still, if you don’t want a gaming-specific phone like the RedMagic 11 Pro or Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro, which aren’t easily available in the US, the OnePlus 15 is a mainstream handset that offers premium specs and features, making it a good choice.

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The OnePlus 15’s gaming experience

Good specs, good display, decent speakers

Battery life while gaming is important, but we’ll set that aside for a moment to focus on the experience of playing games themselves. While both versions of the phone pack the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip, I used the pricier $1,000 version with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage, which presumably performs better than the cheaper $900 model with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. I tested a handful of popular games that are demanding enough to gauge the OnePlus 15’s capabilities.

The effect: high graphics and smooth gameplay. Aside from its high-end hardware, the OnePlus 15 also has a 6.78-inch OLED display with HD Plus (2,722 x1,272-pixel resolution) and 165Hz maximum refresh rate. The latter is a big deal for gaming, but most games won’t hit that cap, as they’re typically set to 120 frames per second (fps) at most.

One of the few big games that supports such a high refresh rate is Dead Cells, whose roguelike gameplay is dependent on reaction time. In theory, it supports an unlimited frame rate, but I couldn’t tell much difference between 120Hz and 165Hz — with more frames per second (roughly one per hertz, so 165fps at the phone’s maximum), it should enable players to respond faster, in the matter of microseconds.

But I’ll be the first one to admit that my clumsy fingers can’t hit the touch controls accurately enough to get that level of quick response. That’s where using a third-party controller comes in handy, and the Backbone I had in my desk drawer worked amazingly well. I plugged the OnePlus 15 in, and Dead Cells immediately switched over to external controls, already mapping my assortment of weapons and items to different buttons. In seconds, I was slipping in attacks between frantic sequences of dodge rolls and double jumps to evade enemy attacks.

When I switched to Destiny Rising, the mobile version of the venerable online shooter, the Backbone was a welcome experience, giving me a lot more button controls at my fingertips. There’s less of a performance gap when using the physical controller with Destiny Rising, as the touch controls work quite nicely, all things considered, compared to Dead Cells. Ditto with Diablo Immortal.

The mobile edition of the hack-and-slash dark fantasy game also has respectable touch controls; while there are a lot of buttons on the screen that block some of the action, they’re placed in a way that I don’t hit them accidentally and generally tap the one I mean to hit most of the time.

Destiny Rising and Diablo Immortal look good with the graphics cranked up to their maximum allowed, but curiously enough, they can’t quite reach the highest possible settings. That makes me wonder whether there’s even a phone out there that can, because the OnePlus 15’s specs are nearly the best you can get on a phone today. Regardless, with features like reflections and high graphics turned on, Destiny Rising and Diablo Immortal have good visuals, somewhere between a PS3/Xbox 360 and a PS4/Xbox One. Powerful as it is, the OnePlus 15 can’t improve the visuals on old games like PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, but those with a distinct style, like Genshin Impact, look good with the phone’s smooth frame rate.

This matches the OnePlus 15’s performance benchmark test results from Geekbench 6 (which tests the CPU) and 3DMark’s Wild Life Extreme (which tests the graphics). The OnePlus 15 achieved higher scores and frame rates than any other phone, except for the RedMagic 11 Pro. While handsets in the iPhone 17 series were not far behind, older phones are left in the dust — my two-year-old iPhone 15 Pro Max got half the scores and frame rates that the OnePlus 15 did.

3DMark Wild Life Extreme

OnePlus 15 7,227RedMagic 11 Pro 8,074iPhone 17 4,885OnePlus 13 6,762

Note: Longer bars indicate better performance

Geekbench 6.0

OnePlus 15 3,670 11,061RedMagic 11 Pro 3,683 11,664iPhone 17 3,612 9.18OnePlus 13 3,091 9,362

Geekbench 6.0, single-core
Geekbench 6.0, multi-core

Note: Longer bars indicate better performance

The big battery helps

But fast charging is much more useful

Aside from its powerful specs, the OnePlus 15’s biggest flex is its 7,300-mAh battery, which is half again as much capacity as the 5,000-mAh batteries found on most premium phones, like the iPhone 17 Pro Max. This should lead to longer playtime, and from anecdotal experience, it does: the phone was at 2% when I started playing Dead Cells to speed up the battery drain, and I managed to play for 45 minutes before it automatically shut down to preserve the remaining 1%. It’s possible that OnePlus deliberately undercounts the bottom sliver of the battery to give people more time (similar to feeling like you’re getting more miles in your car than expected when the gas tank’s empty light is on), but it still gives the feeling of longevity.

But outside of a handful of those examples, the capacity advantage is more muted than I expected. The OnePlus 15’s battery doesn’t noticeably drain more slowly during gameplay than rival phones with smaller capacity batteries. Some of this can be attributed to the phone’s higher graphics and frame rate capability, which somewhat counteract this capacity advantage. Crank them up too high and they’ll drain battery life faster.

I tested this out by playing Destiny Rising for 20 minutes with all graphics and frame rate settings cranked up to maximum, which drained 6% of the OnePlus 15’s battery. When I dropped the performance to the minimum settings for a similarly timed session, it drained 5% of the battery — a small change, but it adds up.

The OnePlus 15’s greater advantage, especially for gamers with access to power outlets, is its recharging speed. The phone packs an 80-watt charger in the box. In my testing, it refilled from nearly empty (1%) to 73% in 30 minutes and reached 100% in 45 minutes. That’s faster than everything but the iPhone 17 series and Samsung Galaxy S25 FE in our tests, all of which have smaller battery capacities. The phone also supports up to 50-watt wireless charging, and because most wireless chargers top out at 15 or 30 watts, good luck finding one that’ll juice back up the OnePlus 15 at its maximum supported rate. The phone supports bypass charging, too, letting you play without draining the battery while it’s plugged in (as long as you can game with a cord sticking out of the bottom of the handset).

While I was disappointed that the large capacity didn’t lead to slower battery drain while playing games, I was delighted by how quickly I could top up the phone between sessions. Heck, you can recharge it even faster with the phone’s maximum 100-watt charging speed, if you pick up a separate OnePlus proprietary charger. It’s worth noting that the larger battery will still prolong casual phone use that doesn’t strain the hardware, such as browsing and using apps.

Final confrontation

What the OnePlus 15 has for mobile gamers over other phones

I found the OnePlus 15 to be a solid phone all around, and there’s something to be said about a high-performance handset that appeals to mainstream tastes. There are certainly fans of the «gamer chic» black, angled lines and RGB lights that characterize products sold to the gaming demographic — things that look like accessories for Decepticons, including the Asus ROG series of phones. Personally, I like the stylized artfulness of the OnePlus 15’s rounded corners, flat sides and smooth matte back cover.

Another advantage the OnePlus 15 has over gaming-specific phones is a normal software interface. CNET senior writer Mike Sorrentino was frustrated by numerous annoyances in the RedMagic 11 Pro’s software, from bloatware to brand watermarks on photos toggled on by default. The OnePlus 15 has a normal interface with its OxygenOS 16 skin on Android 16 — no extreme gamer aesthetic. The Game Assistant app is simple and I find it automatically collecting games within its folder to be handy.

And crucially, the OnePlus 15 has far and away better photo capabilities than other gaming phones. Its suite of three 50-megapixel rear cameras captured impressive color and detail in a series of images showcasing the streets of Lisbon, Portugal, that were shot by CNET’s talented principal editor (and professional photographer in his own right) Andrew Lanxon. While they don’t quite reach the quality of a Samsung Galaxy S25 series or a Google Pixel 10, they’re respectably close, and have the utility of main, ultrawide and telephoto cameras.

The OnePlus 15 does have some drawbacks. Other gaming phones have neat features, like the Asus ROG 9 Pro’s external cooling fan and, crucially, its side port for charging while you’re gaming. Worse, the OnePlus continues to lag competitors in offering only four years of Android updates and six years of security patches, which is notably less than the seven years that Samsung and Google offer (Apple doesn’t promise iOS updates, but generally manages six or more years depending on the device). Other gaming phones are worse, with the RedMagic 11 Pro receiving only three years of Android updates, while the Asus ROG 9 Pro receives an abysmally low two years of operating system updates. Even if the OnePlus 15 is better compared to gaming phones, it’s not great to spend about a grand on a phone only to see it stop receiving new, fun software features after half a decade.

There’s another caveat to the OnePlus 15, which I wouldn’t consider a dealbreaker for gamers. The phone’s 1,800-nit maximum display brightness is fine outdoors, but pales in comparison to its competitors; the iPhone 17 series, for instance, boasts a 3,000-nit peak brightness outdoors. But I wouldn’t expect many mobile gamers to be playing outside anyway — I sure haven’t been while I’ve done all this gamer science.

Technologies

Artemis II Astronauts Are Using iPhones to Capture Stunning Space Images

After smartphones were cleared by NASA for space missions, the crew members of the Integrity spacecraft are beaming back lots of iPhone photos.

The four astronauts aboard the Integrity spacecraft now headed home from their historic arc around the moon really are like the rest of us: Sometimes they reach for their smartphones to snap photos.

For the Artemis II mission, iPhone 17 Pro Max phones have been used to capture photos inside the capsule of the astronauts pondering the views of Earth and working on mission objectives. (Technically, NASA refers to them as PCDs – personal computing devices.)

Smartphones were cleared for use in space for the first time in February. In a post on X, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman wrote, «We are giving our crews the tools to capture special moments for their families and share inspiring images and video with the world.»

Early in the mission, Commander Reid Wiseman snapped a pair of photos looking out the window with Earth behind him. Mission specialist Christina Koch and her dynamic curls in zero-gravity also captured a pensive view looking out over the planet. All three were made using the front camera — because wouldn’t you want to grab a selfie if you were in space?

The iPhone 17 Pro’s rear cameras are pulling their own weight during the mission, too. During the live broadcast as the crew approached the moon, Wiseman took a photo of the moon’s surface using the iPhone’s telephoto camera at 8x zoom. He turned the screen toward one of the video cameras mounted inside the spacecraft, creating an image of the moon’s surface alone against the darkness of the unlit cabin, with the iPhone’s signature rounded edges and Dynamic Island cutout at the top.

The main photo workhorses on this trip are a Nikon D5 DSLR and a Nikon Z9. The D5 is a model that has been used on several space excursions, and the Z9 is onboard as an experimental camera.

For NASA missions, every piece of equipment must be tested and certified, which is why the previously-approved D5 has a secure spot. Cameras must be resistent to space environmental factors like radiation, and safe if they’re floating around the capsule. However, the iPhones in space now are off-the-shelf models, according to a report by Jackie Watties of CNN.

The moon flyby was especially photo-intensive, with astronauts switching places several times so that two were always at windows with cameras and relating what they could see with their eyes. This photo of mission specialist and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen taking images using one of the Nikon cameras shows how some windows have camera shrouds attached. The shroud ensures that light from the interior isn’t reflected in the glass.

In a particularly relatable photo, Hansen is also using the front-facing camera of a white iPhone 17 Pro — as a portable mirror while he shaves. As the (modified) saying goes, the best selfie screen is the one you have with you.

The iPhone 17 Pro isn’t the first Apple product to go into space. Crew members have taken iPods, iPads and AirPods on missions since the Space Shuttle era. The Mac Portable even went up on a shuttle (and revealed that its trackball in zero-G isn’t the best option).

An Apple representative didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Technologies

Hades 2, the Award-Winning Sequel, Joins Xbox Game Pass in April

Game Pass Premium subscribers are getting a handful of games, including the remastered Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion.

Hades 2 was selected as one of CNET’s best games of 2025, but don’t take our word for it. The game won Best Action Game at the 2025 Game of the Year awards, Best Game on Steam Deck at the Steam Awards and a bevy of other accolades after its release. If you haven’t had the chance to play this stellar sequel yet, you can on Xbox Game Pass starting on April 14.

Xbox Game Pass, a CNET Editors’ Choice award pick, offers a wide selection of games you can play on your Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One and PC or mobile device for as little as $10 a month. And with a subscription to the higher-tiered Game Pass Ultimate ($30 a month), you can access hundreds of games, including Day One releases, each month.

Here are the games Microsoft plans to bring to Game Pass in April. You can also check out other games the company added to the service in March, including Cyberpunk 2077.

DayZ

Coming to PC on April 8, joining Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, Game Pass Essential and PC Game Pass.

This online multiplayer survival game is coming to PC. An unknown virus has turned the population of the post-Soviet country of Chernarus into zombies, and you’re one of the last few survivors. You’ll have to scavenge for supplies among the ruins while fighting off zombies and other survivors alike. But how far will you go to save yourself?

Endless Legend 2 (Game preview)

New to Game Pass Premium on April 8. Previously on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.

Lead your faction to build a great empire that can crush your enemies in this fantasy strategy game. You can play as warriors descended from the stars, cursed knights or hive-minded beasts, but each faction has its strengths, weaknesses and unique philosophies that can influence the rest of the game. And fending off enemies is just one challenge in this game. You’ll have to adapt to the changing environment as well. Will you expand as the tides reveal new treasures, or focus on improving your defenses?

FBC: Firebreak

New to Game Pass Premium on April 8. Previously on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.

The Federal Bureau of Control is under attack from otherworldly forces, and it’s up to you and your versatile unit to restore order. You’ll fight chaotic entities, leeches and a monster made of sticky notes using guns, grenades and other supernatural weapons. You can play this first-person shooter game on your own or take on the chaos of the FBC with friends in three-player co-op.

Planet Coaster 2

Coming to Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium and PC Game Pass on April 9.

This might not be the classic RollerCoaster Tycoon, but it’s close enough. You’ll build your own roller coasters and water slides, manage your amusement park and create unforgettable experiences for your guests. It’s unclear if you can launch your coasters off the rails into waiting crowds. Will report back later.

Tiny Bookshop

Coming to Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium and PC Game Pass on April 10.

I have long dreamed of opening my own bookshop, and until I come into a lot of money, this game will have to do. You can stock your bookshop with different genres and items for sale, set up shop in scenic locations — like near a lighthouse — and get to know the locals in this cozy management game.

Football Manager 26 (PC and console)

New to Game Pass Premium on April 13. Previously on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.

Get ready for a more immersive matchday experience in the latest installment of the Football Manager franchise. You can build a star-studded squad with new transfer tools, and this entry features official Premier League licenses and women’s football for the first time in the series’ history.

Hades 2

Coming to Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium and PC Game Pass on April 14.

Following the events of the original game, the Titan of Time Chronos has returned and laid waste to the Underworld and Earth. As the immortal princess Melinoe, you’re tasked with stopping the titan and restoring the mythic world. Each time you venture out, you’ll learn more about the world around you and discover the true cause of all the destruction and pain.

Replaced

Coming to Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass on Day One on April 14.

Can AI ever be human? I’m not talking about ChatGPT or Gemini, but REACH, an AI trapped in a human’s body, in this narrative platformer game. You’ll explore an alternate 1980s America that’s scarred from nuclear catastrophe as you try to uncover the secrets of the Phoenix Corps, the same group that created you. It’s a cyberpunk Frankenstein with plenty of exploration and fluid action sequences.

The Thaumaturge

Coming to Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium and PC Game Pass on April 14.

By definition, a thaumaturge is a miracle worker or magician, and in this roleplaying game, you’re a master of mystical arts that allow you to peer into the hearts and minds of others. After the death of your father, you returned to an alternate 1900s Warsaw to investigate his death, fight supernatural forces and uncover the truth.

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered

New to Game Pass Premium on April 16. Previously on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.

A fanatical cult is trying to open gates to the demonic realm of Oblivion, and it’s up to you to stop them and seal the gates forever in the remastered version of this open-world RPG. You can rediscover the world of Cyrodiil (or experience it for the first time in updated glory), encounter unique characters and save the land.

EA Sports NHL 26

Coming to Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass on April 16.

As the NHL regular season winds down, the playoffs and the fight for the Stanley Cup are heating up. And with the latest installment in this EA Sports franchise, you can ensure your favorite team brings home the cup. This entry in the series introduces new gameplay mechanics, such as Ice Q 2.0 and a goalie crease control system, to add additional challenges. So if you want to see the Florida Panthers win the cup back-to-back, or you want to make absolutely sure that never happens, this game is for you.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare

Coming to Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium and PC Game Pass on April 17.

Modern Warfare redefined the Call of Duty series when it was released almost 20 years ago, and the rebooted version of the classic game drops you right back to where it started. You’ll control CIA and SAS special forces as they attempt to stop rebels from the fictional Republic of Urzikstan. And if the campaign’s not enough, you can hone your skills in the immersive, fast-paced multiplayer.

Little Rocket Lab

New to Game Pass Premium on April 21. Previously on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.

Your family’s dream project has been to build a rocket, and you’re going to fulfill their dream in this cozy, machine-building RPG. But first, you have to build clever contraptions, convert local resources and become the heart of your community before you can complete your ultimate rocket-building task.

Sopa: Tale of the Stolen Potato

New to Game Pass Premium on April 21. Previously on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.

Miho goes to the pantry to grab a potato for his grandmother’s soup when he lands in a fantastical land. Now he has to find his way back home by following in the footsteps of a mysterious traveler from long ago. You’ll meet quirky characters, gather exotic ingredients and take in vibrant environments in this world of magical realism inspired by Latin America.

Vampire Crawlers

Coming to Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass on Day One on April 21.

From the creators of the indie darling Vampire Survivors comes this turn-based, deck-building, roguelite game. You’ll explore dungeons that might look familiar to Vampire Survivors veterans, fight monsters and build chaotic, broken decks along the way. So be tactical in your choices or blast away every chance you get!

Kiln

Coming to Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass on Day One on April 23.

Kiln is about creating beautiful pottery filled with artistry and wonder… and smashing it all to pieces in the arena. This online, multiplayer party brawler pits you against others to see which pottery design can withstand the heat and which can dish out a beating.

Two games come to Game Pass Essential subscribers on April 8

Game Pass Essential costs $10 a month and offers access to a relatively small library of games compared to Game Pass Premium and Ultimate. While Microsoft doesn’t regularly add many games to Essential’s library, it’s adding these two on April 8.

Games leaving the service on April 15

While Microsoft is adding the above games to Game Pass, it is also removing five games from the service on April 15, including GTA 5. That means you still have a little time left to complete your main campaign and any sidequests before you’ll have to buy these games separately.

For more on Xbox, discover other games available on Game Pass now, read our hands-on review of the gaming service and learn which Game Pass plan is right for you.

Technologies

Nintendo Is Offering the Switch 2 for $20 Less When You Buy Super Mario Galaxy 1 and 2

This out-of-this-world deal goes live on April 12 and continues until May 9, giving you plenty of time to secure your bundle.

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie has been out for just over a week, and it has already become a must-see film for fans of the Mario Bros. video games. Nintendo also announced an upcoming deal that makes it easier to take the Super Mario Galaxy home.

Starting on April 12, Mario Bros. fans can get the Nintendo Switch 2 for $20 off with the purchase of a digital or physical Super Mario Galaxy 1 and 2 bundle. Once live, this deal lasts until May 9 and brings the Nintendo Switch 2 to $430, down from its usual price of $450.

The deal will be available at select retailers, including Walmart, Amazon, GameStop, Target and Best Buy. Not only does this deal coincide with the film’s release, but it’s also a small way to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Super Mario Bros.

Additionally, Best Buy is currently giving away a free collectible 40th anniversary game case with select Mario game purchases if you’d rather not wait until April 12.

Super Mario Galaxy has been around since 2007, and Super Mario Galaxy 2 has been available since 2010 on Wii. These games are still crowd-pleasers, and this offer makes it possible to enjoy both games on the Nintendo Switch 2 for less.

To better enjoy this deal once it’s available, check out our article on everything you need to know about Nintendo Switch 2 games.

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Why this deal matters

The Nintendo Switch 2 has been praised by fans and gaming experts. Like its handheld gaming counterpart, Super Mario Galaxy 1 and 2 have also remained popular since their releases. If you’ve been looking to buy these games along with the handheld gaming console, then this is one deal to plan for. Keep in mind that it’ll run from April 12 until May 9, so be ready to secure the savings.