We got to have a go at new gaming friendly phone from LG

With technology ever changing it often can prove hard for phone companies to get a monopoly on the mobile gaming market. With the LG V50 ThingQ 5G Smartphone however, LG wants to change that.  Checkpoint got the chance to preview the phone at an event this week and here’s how we think LG are going to achieve this interesting feat in mobile gaming.

Dual Screen 

When I entered this conference I was cautious and needed some convincing. How does a phone like this even work? Wouldn’t it be ridiculously clunky and annoying to hold? I soon learned once I got my hand on it that it’s sized perfectly. The two screens can be navigated with ease and on the fly too, with the ability to separate or flip one of the screens behind the other.

It wasn’t clear to me at first the need for dual screens. Phones constantly are alternating between getting smaller and larger, so much so that I can’t decide what the tech industry is set on. The LG V50 however, looks like a step in the right direction. A phone with a dual screen boasts many benefits for the consumer, each using this device in a new and different way. “You multi-screen at home, now you can multi-screen on the go,” I’m told by a representative at the press event. What this means in short is with the LG V50 you can use this idea of multi-screening on the one device and that in itself is exciting. This statement rings true, so often are we watching Netflix or Stan on our TVs while scrolling absentmindedly through our phones and social media. It’s the reality of our world and the constant need for interactivity today. Finally, an answer to this problem is within view.

This benefits people in mobile gaming immensely. You can play your video game giants such as Fortnite or PUBG  and use one of 3 possible on screen controller set ups on the lower screen. This eliminates two things: the compromise of getting a physical controller add on or the annoying habit of touch controls that are on the game’s screen and space, obscuring your ever so important view. I got to have a go at Sonic on the device and it essentially feels no different from handling a handheld gaming device. The scope of that is largely exciting, achieving more immersion in gaming on a mobile phone than ever.

5G Connectivity

The other big selling point for the device is its 5G connectivity support, allowing for more to be done with a phone than ever before. This new 5G could shake up some competitive multiplayer mobile gaming too, with the technology allowing for a shorter latency than ever and resulting hopefully in more wins in your battle royales. With this being the first 5G phone in Australia, there are soon to also come more regions where this 5G connection is supported. As this connection is still new, when players are using this connection in a supported region they may even find themselves with a neat edge in the gaming competition, getting faster response and synch times. Don’t fret though, in areas where 5G isn’t supported users will still get their standard 4G connection.

So, what else can consumers look forward to?

Without going in depth of every detail and spec (you can find that here), here’s a quick rundown of other things the LG V50 boasts. Its display is a 6.4″ QHD + OLED screen, 5 cameras (triple rear and dual front) can be used to create great composition shots and exceptional sound can be achieved with audio company Meridian’s audio tuning functions, a built in ‘boombox speaker’ and DTS:X 3D surround sound.

These are some promising specs that the LG V50 will provide! With mobile gaming still being a market not yet reaching its full potential or being tapped into, this appears to be a step in the right direction. All of these capabilities also provides some promise for mobile gaming. Mobile gaming is still considered a niche audience and space that many don’t take seriously and “elite gamers” even mock. Hopefully with these capabilities that divide is soon closed further and becomes a more respected space.

The LG V50 will set you back about $1700 outright and will be launched exclusively through Telstra on June 11.