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ASUS ROG Phone 3 climbs above rivals with hidden 160Hz option
- The ASUS ROG Phone 3 has a hidden 160Hz mode.
- You can activate the mode by using an ADB command.
- There aren’t many games and apps optimized for 144Hz or 160Hz though.
The ASUS ROG Phone 3 is tied with the likes of the REDMAGIC 5G and Lenovo Legion Phone Duel as having the highest refresh rate on a smartphone, at 144Hz.
This high refresh rate means you can expect smoother animations when swiping through menus and while playing games. But what if even 144Hz isn’t enough for you? Or maybe you’re just curious? Well, XDA-Developers has discovered that the ROG Phone 3 has a hidden option to enable a 160Hz refresh rate.
You’ll need to run the ADB command adb shell setprop debug.vendor.asus.fps.eng 1 to enable this new mode. The outlet notes that you’ll then need to reboot your phone, with the 160Hz option being available via the refresh rate quick tile or settings > display refresh rate.
Read: ASUS ROG Phone 3 battery tested — Is it the new battery life champion?
Want to return things to normal? Then you’ll need to enter the command adb shell setprop debug.vendor.asus.fps.eng 0 and reset the phone to accomplish this. Of course, these tweaks are done at your own risk.
Higher refresh rates do incur a power consumption and performance penalty on paper, as the processor has to work harder to keep things chugging along. The phone has a powerful Snapdragon 865 Plus processor though, so it should keep things stable at 160Hz. However, our own David Imel noted in his ASUS ROG Phone 3 review that the device had inconsistent endurance despite the 6,000mAh battery. So don’t expect the best battery life after switching to the 160Hz option then.
Furthermore, there aren’t many games and apps out there supporting 144Hz refresh rates, let alone 160Hz. Still, it’s really interesting to see this option on a smartphone, even if it is hidden away.