New Samsung chip to improve 3D performance five-fold

Samsung has announced its next generation of mobile processor, which should, among other things, provide a significant boost to gaming performance.

Following on from the current 1GHz single-core Hummingbird chipset (which can be found in the likes of the Galaxy S and Wave) based on the ARM Cortex A8, the Orion will be a 1GHz dual-core chipset based on the ARM Cortex A9.

The benefits it will bring will include full HD video playback and recording – so that’s 1080p rather than the current 720p standard – an HDMI 1.3a interface and a triple display controller. This means that you could conceivably use your phone as normal while simultaneously outputting HD video to your TV.

If you think that means you’ll need to carry a charger around with you everywhere you go, you’re in for a pleasant surprise. The chip is being designed on a 45nm low-power die, which means it should be far more energy efficient than the current generation.

But the headline news for us pocket gamers is that Samsung is promising five times the 3D graphical performance compared to the current generation. Given that the Galaxy S has been proven to be the best Android device for gaming performance this generation, that’s a staggering thought.

The Orion chipset should be appearing in Samsung devices next year.