Within OnePlus's extensive lineup, the Ace series has always aimed to elevate the gameplay experience. However, in today's fiercely competitive market where smartphones are packed with diverse features, standing out based solely on gaming prowess has become a formidable challenge for the OnePlus Ace series. Recently, OnePlus introduced the OnePlus Ace 5 Ultimate Edition, which promises to provide some definitive answers.

Sleek and Lightweight Design, Prioritizing Handling Comfort

The OnePlus Ace 5 Ultimate Edition we received comes in a serene Clear Blue hue. Its elegant color scheme, smooth silk glass material, and minimalist design are visually captivating.

While emphasizing aesthetics, the OnePlus Ace 5 Ultimate Edition also meticulously considers handling comfort, particularly during gaming. The rear camera DECO area is minimal, not only enhancing the phone's delicacy but also ensuring minimal interference between fingers and the DECO area when held horizontally, providing a comfortable gaming experience and reducing the likelihood of obscuring the camera lens during photography.

The phone's frame corners feature a large radius design, offering a seamless transition along the edges. When held, it fits snugly in the palm, providing a comfortable grip that prevents fatigue even during extended gaming sessions. Clearly, the OnePlus Ace 5 Ultimate Edition's design not only prioritizes aesthetics but also ensures handling comfort, offering users a solid foundation for daily gaming.

On the phone's side, besides the volume and power buttons, the OnePlus Ace 5 Ultimate Edition also includes a new shortcut button. By default, this button activates the "Xiaobu Memory" function, enabling users to instantly capture screen information. Additionally, users can customize its function to suit their needs, such as accessing the camera, flashlight, taking screenshots, recording, and other frequently used features.

Turning to the front, the OnePlus Ace 5 Ultimate Edition boasts a 1.5K high-refresh-rate gaming screen that is eye-friendly. With a global peak brightness of 1400 nits, support for 1.07 billion colors, and game EDR high dynamic range display, it ensures not only smooth gameplay but also vivid color performance.

Furthermore, this screen supports Sunlight Display technology and is optimized for various lighting environments. Under sunlight, screen content remains clearly visible. It also incorporates flagship-level "Bright Eyes Care 2.0" technology, which automatically adjusts screen color temperature based on ambient light intensity and color temperature, reducing eye fatigue after prolonged use. Thanks to its superior eye protection capabilities, the screen of the OnePlus Ace 5 Ultimate Edition has earned TÜV Rheinland Eye Comfort 4.0 certification.

Triple Gaming Chips for Unmatched Smoothness

As a gaming-centric smartphone, performance is paramount. The OnePlus Ace 5 Ultimate Edition employs a triple gaming chip configuration, comprising the Dimensity 9400+ flagship chip, the Lingxi Touch Chip, and the Gold Touch WiFi Chip G1, providing players with an exceptional gaming experience.

The current Dimensity 9400+ chip, released in April this year, uses TSMC's 3nm manufacturing process. It features one large core clocked at 3.73GHz, three ultra-large cores at 3.3GHz, and four large cores at 2.4GHz. Compared to previous chips, its CPU and GPU performance have been significantly enhanced, while power consumption has been reduced.

Let's assess its theoretical performance through benchmarking. It scored over 2.83 million points in the AnTuTu test and 6586 points in the 3DMark Extreme test, placing it at the forefront of the current Android landscape, laying a solid foundation for an overall superior gaming experience.

Genshin Impact and Honor of Kings Test Results

How does it fare in real-world scenarios? Using our standard benchmarks, we tested it with Genshin Impact and Honor of Kings. As seen, the frame rates reached 60.6 frames per second (fps) and 121 fps, respectively, indicating that the OnePlus Ace 5 Ultimate Edition handles current mobile games effortlessly.

Moreover, if we focus on a crucial detail, the "1% Low Frame" indicator measures the slowest 1% of frames during the test and calculates their average frame rate. The higher this value and the closer it is to the average frame rate, the smoother the gameplay is deemed. During our Genshin Impact test, the average frame rate for 1% Low Frames was 57.3 fps, which is highly impressive.

Apart from the Dimensity 9400+, the other two chips also play crucial roles in enhancing the gaming experience. During gameplay, smooth visuals and touch responsiveness are key, especially in games like Game for Peace, where stable touch responsiveness directly impacts the gaming experience. The Lingxi Touch Chip in the OnePlus Ace 5 Ultimate Edition boosts the instantaneous response sampling rate to 3000Hz and reduces touch response time to 0.04 seconds, ensuring a consistently stable touch experience.

Additionally, it features a newly upgraded anti-shake algorithm for screen content. When playing FPS games, double-tapping to aim remains stable, ensuring players hit their targets accurately. In our practical experience, using the OnePlus Ace 5 Ultimate Edition to play Game for Peace resulted in better control accuracy and even an improved win rate.

The Gold Touch WiFi Chip G1 addresses the issue of game lag caused by unstable network connections during gameplay. Besides enhancing radio frequency power, the OnePlus Ace 5 Ultimate Edition also employs an esports antenna system comprising 11 antennas strategically placed around the device. Whether held horizontally or vertically, it provides players with a stable network experience, effectively mitigating network lag.

Thanks to this comprehensive setup, the OnePlus Ace 5 Ultimate Edition handles mainstream mobile games on the market with ease. Beyond smooth gameplay, it also offers options like super frame rates, super HDR graphics quality, and super resolution, further enhancing fluidity and graphics quality, delivering an ultimate gaming experience.

In fact, besides its impressive hardware chip configuration, the OnePlus Ace 5 Ultimate Edition also incorporates a self-developed Fengchi Game Engine, optimized for resource scheduling and power consumption management.

For instance, it can dynamically adjust the processor frequency based on game scenario demands. It boosts the processor frequency during high-performance needs to ensure smooth rendering and reduces frequency in light-load scenarios to save battery power and reduce temperature.

For example, during the Genshin Impact test, the phone's overall power consumption was 4W, which is outstanding.

Despite its powerful performance, many users may worry about overheating. The OnePlus Ace 5 Ultimate Edition features a brand-new Binghe Cooling System with a total cooling area of 41,875 square millimeters, effectively covering key phone areas. Furthermore, the Fengchi Game Engine, with its more scientific resource scheduling, further reduces the phone's temperature during gaming. Additionally, the Dimensity 9400+ itself boasts excellent power consumption performance, so overheating is not a concern with the OnePlus Ace 5 Ultimate Edition.

Actual tests show that after 30 minutes of Genshin Impact gameplay, the phone's highest temperature was 41°C, while the grip areas on both sides remained below 40°C, which is impressive. Notably, the OnePlus Ace 5 Ultimate Edition also supports bypass charging, allowing users to charge and game simultaneously without performance degradation due to charging-induced heat.

Regarding battery life, the OnePlus Ace 5 Ultimate Edition is equipped with a large 6700mAh battery and supports 100W SuperVOOC flash charging, effectively balancing long-lasting use with fast charging. With advancements in battery and fast charging technologies, battery life is no longer a major concern for smartphones.

Imaging Capabilities, Adequate for Daily Use

Lastly, let's discuss the imaging capabilities of the OnePlus Ace 5 Ultimate Edition. It features a 50-megapixel main camera with a 1/1.56-inch sensor, a maximum aperture of f/1.8, and OIS optical image stabilization. Additionally, it includes an 8-megapixel ultra-wide-angle lens. While it may not rival flagship phones in imaging prowess, it is more than capable of handling daily recording tasks.

Let's directly examine the sample photos. In well-lit conditions during the day, the OnePlus Ace 5 Ultimate Edition captures eye-catching images with ample detail retention and appropriate overall color representation.

In scenarios with slightly insufficient light, such as evenings or indoors, the OnePlus Ace 5 Ultimate Edition handles them adeptly, producing clean images with accurate colors.

Furthermore, for the currently popular live photos, the OnePlus Ace 5 Ultimate Edition provides excellent support, allowing users to freely select covers and generate GIFs with one click, making it highly practical.

Final Thoughts

It can be said that the OnePlus Ace 5 Ultimate Edition lives up to its name, truly deserving of the "Ultimate" title among models in this price range. With its gaming-focused triple-chip setup and powerful Fengchi Game Engine, the OnePlus Ace 5 Ultimate Edition offers an exceptional gaming experience for players. Simultaneously, the phone also comprehensively builds a balanced and superior gaming experience from the perspectives of grip, screen display, and touch control.

Moreover, with its elegant aesthetics, lightweight body design, and imaging capabilities adequate for daily use, the OnePlus Ace 5 Ultimate Edition offers well-rounded performance for a phone priced around 2000 yuan. If your budget falls within this range, the OnePlus Ace 5 Ultimate Edition is definitely worth considering.