I just played Ghost of Tsushima on my phone. I never imagined this day would come, and I'm not regretting this unexpected experience.

      I have tested numerous gaming phones, but nothing quite prepared me for experiencing Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut starting up on the Red Magic 11S Pro. This wasn't cloud gaming or something like Remote Play from a PlayStation located elsewhere in the house. I utilized GameHub, connected it to Steam, and after some trial and error, managed to run the PC version of Ghost of Tsushima on a phone–which exceeded my expectations in terms of playability.

      And indeed, it appeared as absurd as it sounds. Watching Jin Sakai on a phone display with a GameHub overlay, virtual shoulder buttons, and a live FPS counter on top made the entire setup appear more feasible.

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      My approach and initial challenges

      Getting the game to run was not as straightforward as simply tapping install and charging into Tsushima. Fortunately, it was not overly frustrating. GameHub allows you to either connect your Steam account or manually transfer PC game files for the app to recognize. I opted for the Steam route, which required some adjustments in both GameHub and the game itself. The GameHub library screen made the experience surprisingly similar to using a compact PC launcher, with Ghost of Tsushima listed alongside other PC titles.

      I set all graphics settings to low, which seemed like the most logical starting point. Even then, the initial run was not particularly smooth. In one instance, the overlay indicated Ghost of Tsushima was running at about 20fps while the phone's temperature reached 48.7 degrees Celsius. In another, it rose to 24fps with the temperature exceeding 50 degrees. While the performance was far from perfect, achieving relatively playable framerates on a phone is quite impressive.

      Vikhyaat Vivek / Digital Trends

      Nonetheless, it wasn't without its problems. The game could crash during specific loading screens, especially if a mission was failed–what a harsh consequence for not excelling in the game. This was undoubtedly an experiment, which the phone made abundantly clear.

      Vikhyaat Vivek / Digital Trends

      The usefulness of GameHub settings

      After checking out some community tutorials, I began adjusting the settings in GameHub. At that moment, I felt like I was emulating games on my desktop PC. In GameHub’s compatibility settings, the app provided options for the compatibility layer, translation parameters, DirectInput behavior, audio driver, and CPU translation. Using community advice, I fine-tuned these settings, and those adjustments resulted in a noticeably more stable experience. The compatibility layer, in particular, was crucial for an improved experience, and after switching to Proton, the game felt smoother.

      Vikhyaat Vivek / Digital Trends

      With the Red Magic 11S Pro offering various power modes to maximize performance from the flagship Qualcomm processor, it's not surprising that mobile chips are being used in some entry-level laptops today. The liquid cooling system, shoulder triggers, and various GameSpace technologies really contributed to a cohesive experience.

      The temptation and risks of Diablo mode

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      The Red Magic 11S Pro features multiple performance modes, with Diablo mode being the pinnacle of smartphone performance. There is rarely any significant difference in gameplay feel when transitioning to “performance mode” on any smartphone, including flagship models. However, activating Diablo mode essentially doubled the framerate in Ghost of Tsushima, with me occasionally reaching 60fps.

      Vikhyaat Vivek / Digital Trends

      The downside, though, was stability and temperature. With the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 Leading Version heating up to 80 degrees Celsius, the game became more susceptible to crashes. Although the numbers were thrilling, they weren't realistic for continuous gameplay. Thus, I settled for the second-best option, the “Rise” mode. For longer gaming sessions, I preferred to use Balanced mode to ensure a more consistent experience. This might not be the ideal way to play Ghost of Tsushima, but the fact that it worked is still impressive, and I'm not complaining.