Gone are the days when video games were restricted to desktop PCs. Today, mobile gaming is common, and games are aplenty.
While heavy gaming on a desktop is still the norm, it is becoming prevalent to game on your mobile device thanks to the invention of smart devices. With that, it’s plausible to develop powerful phones that could deliver a gaming experience that closely emulates the quality of a desktop’s.
You have the likes of Razer and ROG gaming phones. Then there’s Xiaomi with some of the best phones thanks to having great specs for its low price. Their second generation of Black Shark seems just as good, with features like Snapdragon 855 and 8/12 GB of RAM to support its gaming system set up. Other highlights include a pressure-sensitive screen, enhanced cooling system, and an optional dedicated game controller.
Seemingly powerful and good looking, the Black Shark 2 is a strong contender in the gaming realm that’s just as enticing as the latest iPhones.
Read more: First 5G Gaming Phone Black Shark 3 Now Available for Pre-order in Malaysia
Check out our hands-on review of the Black Shark 2!
Specs
Design
There’s something about gaming equipment usually coming in dark colours with an edgy design. Some stay classier with a pop of colour, which shows on the Black Shark 2. Sporting green accents and a glowing brand logo on its back, the phone’s rugged, solid cover is more than just for show; it’s meant for comfortable, ergonomic handling.
Not only that; at the edges are light bars that will glow or pulsate whenever you charge the phone or play music (Spotify); an eye-candy for RGB light fans. Other than that, you’ll also find its two camera lens set-up behind.
The phone has its plot holes that may irk some gamers. For starters, you won’t be getting a headphone jack, nor a micro sd card slot on this phone. This means that you will not be able to charge your phone while playing with earphones on. Also with no storage expansion option, you’re pretty much stuck with 128gb of storage in the base model (though that’s already quite a lot of space).
Screen
Screen display is an important aspect of gaming, and the one on Black Shark 2 does not disappoint. Spanning a 6.39-inch AMOLED screen, visuals on the Black Shark give great colour contrast without seeming too dark. It performs well during darker visual scenes so you can spot enemies and other similar graphic details better.
Other features we like about the screen is its very thin bezels. This is a plus point for allowing you to have a fuller view of your game without the need to frustrate over navigation, squinting and zooming of maps and pages.
The phone still has its limit, though. Compared to gaming phone competitor, Razer Phone 2’s 120 Hz frame rate, Black Shark is only half of that at 60 Hz. This is due to the difficulty in incorporating beyond 60 Hz on an AMOLED screen. To add, most games on the app store at the moment don’t run beyond 60Hz. Given that Razer’s screen is LCD, this fact balances the pitfalls between the two phones.
Controller
Black Shark 2 also has an added, dedicated controller for added playability and comfort.
The handheld game controller clips onto the sides (top and bottom) of the phone, which then turns the Black Shark 2 into a full-on portable game console with a touch screen. Although not small or compact in size, the controller is light, so it’s easy to toss it into your bag.
However, we feel that this controller is not necessary to make your gaming experience any better. This is due to the fact that you’ll need to configure the controller for every game, which is annoying. If you want a console-like experience, just hook the phone up to a bigger desktop screen (which supports 120Hz!) and play!
Performance
Black Shark 2’s interface is smooth and easy to use, with its stock android-look alike UI closely resembling the ones on OnePlus phones. With a Snapdragon 660 chipset to run with 8GB of RAM, games on the Black Shark 2 feel really fast, responsive and clear. It is also said that Black Shark 2 features one of the world’s lowest latencies ever at 43.5ms, which gives very little chance for the Black Shark to underperform and show signs of major delays.
To add, the enhance cooling system is one of the best we’ve experienced on a smartphone. Over 3 hours of playing PUBG, Fortnite and Asphalt on the phone, we hardly experienced any heat emanating from the phone despite gaming on power-hungry settings. This is highly thought of on Black Shark’s part in order to create a phone that would manage well with even the most demanding games in the app store, So, well done Black Shark.
Camera
If there’s one thing we didn’t expect much, it is the camera. Boy, were we wrong; Black Shark’s dual set up, which features a 48 MP sensor, is better than expected.
For starters, low-light scenes are well controlled without suffering from too much noise. We also find that colours are lovely and balanced without needing to edit and process for Instagram. Moreover, the sharpness of this photo is a plus point, though we think it can be a little too sharp.
Battery Life
You can expect about 8 - 10 hours of total screen time before charging is needed. The management of the Black Shark 2 with its 4,000 mAh battery pack is quite impressive and is one of the longest-lasting phones around at this moment.
Not to mention, the phone supports fast charging at 27w; you can charge up to 15% in just 30 minutes whilst gaming.
Is It For You?
Black Shark 2 is a magnificent phone for just about any hardcore mobile gamer especially if your preferences consist of mainly action-packed and competitive games. Performance exceeds our expectations, with supporting factors like a pressure sensitive screen, AMOLED resolution and 60 Hz fps, to give you a gaming experience like no other. Not to mention, the camera is an additional brownie point that makes Black Shark 2 a desirable product.
To conclude, its performance justifies the price which is higher than Xiaomi smartphones. But, we can confidently say that Black Shark 2 is one of the best Xiaomi phones in Malaysia.
Editor
Jodee Tan chevron_right
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