We test on an old phone on purpose

Most people aren't playing on the newest phone, so reviewing only on a flagship gives a false picture. We keep a couple of older, mid-range devices around and start our testing there. If a game runs badly on those, that's important to know.

Old hardware exposes lazy optimization fast. Stutters, long load times, and overheating show up quickly on a three-year-old phone. Some games that feel silky on a top-tier device turn into slideshows, and you deserve to hear about that before you download.

Heat is the sneaky one. A phone that gets uncomfortably hot will throttle itself, dropping performance mid-session. We note when that happens because it's a real, physical part of the experience.

We still check flagships too, so you get both ends. But the old phone stays in the rotation because it keeps us honest. A game that plays well on modest hardware is doing its job right.

If a review mentions a game runs great on older phones, trust that we actually put it through that test. It's the whole reason we keep those relics charged.