What just happened? Qualcomm has announced three new chips designed for handheld gaming consoles at the 2025 Game Developers Conference. The Snapdragon G3 Gen 3 leads the lineup with ray tracing and Wi-Fi 7, while the Snapdragon G2 Gen 2, and Snapdragon G1 Gen 2 SoCs target the cloud gaming market. The Snapdragon G-series lineup is led by the G3 Gen 3 SoC, an upgrade from the Snapdragon G3x Gen 2. It is built specifically for Android-based handheld gaming devices and supports Unreal Engine 5's Lumen lighting system. It also offers real-time, hardware-accelerated ray tracing with global illumination and reflections. The G3 Gen 3 chip supports up to QHD+ resolution and 144Hz refresh rates.Snapdragon G3 Gen 3 includes an 8-core Kryo CPU consisting of 1 prime core, 5 performance cores, and 2 efficiency cores. Graphics processing is handled by an Adreno A32 GPU. Qualcomm claims that the chip delivers a 30% faster CPU and 28% improved graphics performance compared to its predecessor. Connectivity is powered by the FastConnect 7800 module, featuring Bluetooth 5.3 and Wi-Fi 7 for reduced latency and enhanced bandwidth.The Snapdragon G2 Gen 2 is the second chip in the lineup, serving as an upgrade to the Snapdragon G2 Gen 1. Designed primarily for cloud gaming, it supports display resolutions up to QHD+ and 144Hz refresh rates, matching its higher-end sibling.The Snapdragon G2 Gen 2 features an 8-core Kryo CPU with 1 prime core, 4 performance cores, and 3 efficiency cores, along with an Adreno A22 GPU. Like the flagship model, it includes the FastConnect 7800 module with Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity. Qualcomm states that the new chip offers 2.3 times faster CPU performance and 3.8 times faster GPU performance compared to its predecessor.The entry-level option, Snapdragon G1 Gen 2, targets handheld cloud gaming on Android devices. It includes an 8-core Kryo CPU with 2 performance cores and 6 efficiency cores, coupled with an Adreno A12 GPU. Qualcomm says the G1 Gen 2 offers 80% faster CPU performance and 25% better GPU performance compared to the previous generation. // Related StoriesUnlike the G3 and G2 models, the Snapdragon G1 Gen 2 uses the FastConnect 6700 connectivity module with Wi-Fi 6/6E and Bluetooth 5. On the display side, it supports up to FHD+ resolution with a 144Hz refresh rate.Devices featuring these new Snapdragon gaming chips are expected to launch later this quarter. Ayaneo, Onexsugar, and Retroid Pocket are among the prominent brands already confirmed to release new handheld gaming consoles powered by Qualcomm's latest chips.