The OnePlus 12's display has some reported issues during gaming, primarily related to low brightness levels, uniformity, and refresh rate behavior, as well as some positive aspects of the display performance in gaming contexts.
Display Uniformity Issues at Low Brightness:
One common issue users have experienced with the OnePlus 12's display is poor uniformity at low brightness levels. This problem manifests as visible splotches, banding, and uneven color distribution, particularly noticeable when the screen brightness is reduced significantly during specific use cases, such as the call screen or when the phone is locked in dark mode. This phenomenon is often more prominent under the "Pro D65" color profile because its lowest brightness setting is dimmer than that of other modes, which seem to mask the problem better due to slightly higher brightness. The fingerprint unlock feature exacerbates these display inconsistencies by dimming the screen during unlocking, causing the screen patches to become more apparent. All OnePlus 12 units appear to exhibit some level of this flaw, with variations in severity between individual panels, and attempts to resolve this by replacing the unit may not guarantee improvement, as demonstrated by users testing multiple devices and demo models. The suggested mitigation is to use the default "Natural" or "Vivid" color profiles to reduce the visibility of these defects.
Gaming Performance and Display Experience:
The OnePlus 12 excels in gaming performance with its display, providing smooth and consistent frame rates in demanding games. For example, while playing Genshin Impact at the highest graphics settings, the device maintained a near-constant 60 fps with minimal frame drops during extended sessions. The device's GPU and CPU usage remain moderate even during intensive gaming, keeping the phone temperature comfortable and preventing overheating issues that could affect the display or performance.
In Call of Duty Mobile, the phone supports both 60 fps at the highest graphics settings and 120 fps at balanced graphics, providing a high-level gaming experience with minimal frame rate fluctuations. Despite running extended gaming sessions back-to-back, the device did not become uncomfortably hot, and the display responsiveness remained fast, even when the screen was wet or when fingers were sweatyâa feature enabled by OnePlus's Aqua Touch technology. This technology ensures the touchscreen continues to register input accurately during gaming, improving user control in competitive scenarios.
Refresh Rate and Thermal Management During Gaming:
The OnePlus 12 has a display refresh rate of 120 Hz, enhancing the smoothness of gaming and general navigation. However, users have reported that the refresh rate can drop during heavy gaming or demanding graphical tasks. This decrease is an intentional thermal management strategy designed to prevent the phone from overheating when it reaches around 40 degrees Celsius. When the device warms up, the refresh rate lowers temporarily to reduce thermal stress and sustain overall device longevity. This behavior can sometimes be perceived as lag or stutter during gaming. OnePlus provides a "Pro Gaming Mode" within the Hyperboost gaming engine to optimize performance during intense gaming sessions, which users are encouraged to enable for a better experience. Avoiding direct sunlight exposure and using the phone while charging are also recommended to prevent overheating-related refresh rate drops.
Software and Update-Related Display Issues:
There have been user reports about the Android 15 update affecting gaming experience and display performance on the OnePlus 12, leading to decreased smoothness and minor bugs in the system animation, which can indirectly affect perceived display responsiveness during gaming sessions. Some of these issues manifest as choppiness or laggy behavior, but these are more related to software optimization than hardware faults of the display itself. Users experiencing such problems may want to check for recent software patches or consider reverting settings to improve performance.
Summary of Positive Display Features for Gaming:
- The OnePlus 12 supports very high and stable frame rates at 60 fps and 120 fps in popular demanding games, ensuring smooth gameplay.
- The Aqua Touch technology ensures the touchscreen remains responsive even when wet or with sweaty fingers, giving gamers better control.
- Features such as Hyper HDR and Hyper Resolution improve in-game visuals by enhancing contrast and sharpness, making gaming more visually appealing on the device's already vibrant display.
Summary of Display Issues During Gaming:
- Visible display uniformity problems at low brightness settings, especially under the "Pro D65" color profile and dark mode scenarios.
- Refresh rate drops as a thermal management measure, potentially causing perceptible lag or stutter in some heavy gaming situations.
- Some impact on gaming smoothness and display performance related to software updates like Android 15.
- The fingerprint unlock screen dimming reveals more apparent display uniformity flaws due to reduced brightness and color mode changes.