Fortnite Mobile just beat Xbox and PS4 to a 90Hz mode, but only on these phones

Fortnite mobile
(Image credit: TechRadar)

If you play Fortnite on PS4, Xbox One or your mobile phone, you're probably used to playing at 60Hz, but soon on mobile you'll be able to experience it at 90Hz - if you buy the right phone.

This news comes as OnePlus, an Android phone manufacturer, has announced a partnership with Epic Games - the makers of Fortnite. Now the OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro will both let you play Fortnite at 90Hz, giving you smoother refresh rate.

90Hz refresh rate means the image on your phone updates 90 times per second, over the 'standard' of 60Hz on most smartphones, and it makes motion and movement feel a lot smoother. People playing Fortnite on the OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro, which have 90Hz and 120Hz screens respectively, will find the game feels smoother to play.

It's worth pointing out that, while this is the highest refresh rate Fortnite has seen on smartphones (and trumps that on consoles), the iPad Pro can actually play the game at 120Hz. That means OnePlus 8 phones don't actually have the best refresh rate for Fortnite for any handheld device.

Fortnite Mobile on other devices

It's not clear if other smartphones will get to run Fortnite at 90Hz in the future. 

Many devices feature 90Hz screens , so it may be the game will one day be playable at that refresh rate on older OnePlus phones like the 7T and 7T Pro, or handsets from other companies like the Samsung Galaxy S20, Xiaomi Mi 10 and Google Pixel 4.

It's unlikely the OnePlus 8 series will be the exclusive 90Hz Fortnite devices forever. It's a much-requested feature that many smartphone users will want to try out, but right now OnePlus has the upper hand by offering it exclusively.

If you're looking for a new phone, and the prospect of smooth Fortnite gameplay appeals to you, maybe it's worth picking up the OnePlus 8 or 8 Pro. You can see the best prices for it in your region below.

Tom Bedford
Contributor

Tom Bedford was deputy phones editor on TechRadar until late 2022, having worked his way up from staff writer. Though he specialized in phones and tablets, he also took on other tech like electric scooters, smartwatches, fitness, mobile gaming and more. He is based in London, UK and now works for the entertainment site What To Watch.


He graduated in American Literature and Creative Writing from the University of East Anglia. Prior to working on TechRadar, he freelanced in tech, gaming and entertainment, and also spent many years working as a mixologist. He also currently works in film as a screenwriter, director and producer.