OnePlus Launches the Gaming-Focused Ace 5 Ultra, Racing Edition – Talk Android

Over in China, without much fanfare, OnePlus has just announced two devices to join its Ace 5 series. These ones bring a different design, and they aim for gamers instead of the average person. That is very obvious the moment you take a look at their spec sheets, which is something that we’ll dive into a bit.

You might notice some specs are less than ideal based on current standards, but it seems like OnePlus chose to pull back on the features a mobile gamer likely doesn’t care that much about. Does it work, at least on paper? Let’s find out.

The OnePlus Ace 5 Racing Edition Focuses on Power and Longevity

The OnePlus Ace 5 Racing Edition doesn’t look too imposing from the outside, but its spec sheet shows a device that focuses on longer gaming sessions than its competitors can give you, with the largest battery in a OnePlus phone.

The Design

The OnePlus Ace 5 Racing Edition doesn’t look too crazy. You get a simple phone with slightly rounded corners, a flat back panel and screen, and a flat frame. The device has an oval camera module with two lenses.

It measures only 8.17mm, which is important info to keep in mind for when we get to the battery department. The phone only has IP64 certification, which is very odd for a device these days, but I’ll assume the choice was made with the target market in mind. The device is available in Wilderness Green, Rock Black, and a marble-like Wave White colorway.

The Screen

The display is one of the most important aspects of a gaming phone. The Ace 5 Racing Edition has a 6.77-inch FHD+ AMOLED unit. You get 120Hz refresh and 1,300 nits of peak brightness. There’s also support for HDR Vivid.

The Hardware

The chip of choice is the MediaTek Dimensity 9400e, which is what I’d call “nearly” a flagship chip. It possesses a lot of power, though it is obviously placed slightly under the flagship Dimensity 9400 in terms of power. It’ll get the job done with essentially any Android title, though.

That comes with either 256GB or 512GB of UFS 4.0. Either one can be paired with 12GB or 16GB of RAM. You get Wi-Fi 7, a must for competitive gamers, with Bluetooth 5.4, NFC, and an IR blaster.

The Battery and Charging

Despite its average thickness, the Ace 5 Racing Edition tops the OnePlus battery charts with a 7,100mAh cell, and with a slightly less powerful high-end chip, it should last for a very long time.

That comes paired with 80W wired charging for speedy juicing up when you need to get back to gaming, and it also supports bypass charging for when you want to game while plugged in.

The Cameras

The cameras are relatively simple, which shouldn’t be much of a surprise, since this phone isn’t meant to focus too heavily on that. Gamers simply need a camera that’s alright, not one that’s flagship-grade.

• 50MP primary: f/1.8 aperture, 1/1.95″ sensor, OIS
• 2MP depth: f/2.4 aperture
• 16MP selfie: f/2.4 aperture, 1/3″ sensor

The Pricing and Availability

At the moment, the device is only available in China, and it likely won’t break out of that region. However, there, it starts at CNY 1,799, which is only $250. That’s actually ridiculous for the specs you get.

The OnePlus Ace 5 Ultra Is a High-End Gaming Phone That Actually Looks Regular

The OnePlus Ace 5 Ultra is a lot less apologetic and pushes up the slider on as many gaming-related specs as it can. While there are still a few odd choices, it is a pure-blooded gaming device, without the aggressive build.

The Design

The OnePlus Ace 5 Ultra looks like the Ace 5 Racing Edition, with its rounded corners and flat back, screen, and frame. The major difference is that the oval camera module, while still maintaining two cameras, fits the flash in as a third.

The phone only has IP65 certification, which is interesting considering that the rest of its spec sheet resembles a full-blown flagship. The device is available in Phantom Black, Breeze Blue, and the vertically striped Burning Titanium variant.

The Screen

The display is better than the Racing Edition in every way. It gets bigger, has a higher resolution, refreshes faster, is brighter, and brings support for more HDR standards.

The Hardware

This device calls on the power of MediaTek’s best chip at the moment, the Dimensity 9400+, so there’s plenty of power in store. You get the same storage options as the Racing Edition, with the addition of a top-end 16GB/1TB option.

The Battery and Charging

The battery is a little smaller here, but it is still huge. You get a 6,700mAh battery with support for 100W wired charging and bypass charging. There’s also 7.5W reverse wired charging if you want to call on that massive battery to help juice someone else up.

The Cameras

The same 50MP primary camera will help you capture memories with this phone, but instead of a depth sensor, you get a more useful 8MP ultrawide unit. On the front is the same 16MP snapper for your selfies.

The Pricing and Availability

Just like its sibling, this device is only available in China at the moment. It starts at CNY 2,499 (~$350) for the 12/256GB variant of the device, which might be the cheapest you can get a flagship chip like that.