MediaTek sets its sights on gamers with the Helio G90 and G90T

The Helio G90 and G90T feature Cortex A76 cores and several optimizations to deliver smooth gameplay.

What you need to know

• MediaTek unveils its first gaming-focused chipsets in the Helio G90 and G90T.
• Both chipsets are powered by Cortex A76 and A55 cores, as well as ARM's Mali G76 GPU.
• The chipsets also feature a host of optimizations designed to deliver lag-free gaming.

MediaTek hasn't really fared well in the mid-range and high-end categories in the last three years, with Qualcomm dominating this space with the Snapdragon 8xx and 6xx series. The Taiwanese manufacturer is now looking to change that with the Helio G90 and G90T, its first chipsets aimed at gamers. With mobile gaming becoming more and more competitive, chip vendors are rolling out dedicated solutions to cater to this market.

The Helio G90 and G90T feature a combination of Cortex A76 and A55 cores clocked up to 2.05GHz, along with ARM's Mali G76 GPU, up to 10GB of LPDDR4X RAM at 2133MHz, and up to 64MP single and multi-camera 24MP + 16MP configurations.

Driving the G90 and G90T is MediaTek's HyperEngine technology, which features several optimizations designed to deliver the best possible experience when gaming. It has intelligent network prediction, which detects if a Wi-Fi signal is degrading, switching to a combination of cellular data and Wi-Fi to ensure seamless connectivity.

You'll also be able to connect to two Wi-Fi bands at the same time, or even two routers simultaneously. Furthermore, the cellular signal doesn't cut out when you receive a call, making sure you don't lose out on any in-game action. There's also intelligent resource allocation that ensures games aren't throttled.

MediaTek is also touting touch acceleration to deliver an "instant action-to-display experience, faster frame rates and smoother game play so you can maneuver the game world without stutter." Finally, the Helio G90 and G90T work with 10-bit HDR panels to bring out the best visuals.

Both the G90 and G90T are fabricated on a 12nm node, and judging by the specs on offer, it's clear that MediaTek is going after the Snapdragon 730 and 730G. Qualcomm has already secured a few wins for the Snapdragon 730 in the Redmi K20 and Galaxy A80, and this is an area that MediaTek has struggled with in the past. It'll be interesting to see what kind of momentum MediaTek manages to get in this category, but from a hardware point of view there's plenty to like in the Helio G90 and G90T.