Game Science's action-adventure title Black Myth: Wukong has taken the gaming world by storm, selling an impressive 10 million copies in just 10 days. However, recent attempts to run the game on mobile hardware have revealed significant challenges.
Mobile Mayhem
Despite not being officially released for Android, tech enthusiasts managed to get Black Myth: Wukong running on a smartphone equipped with Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip and Adreno 750 GPU. The results, unfortunately, were far from ideal:
- Frame rates struggled to reach 14-19 FPS during basic movement
- CPU temperatures soared to a concerning 76 degrees Celsius
- Image quality was noticeably fuzzy, likely due to extreme graphics settings reduction
Hardware Pushed to the Limit
While the Adreno 750 GPU maintained a respectable 85-86% utilization at 1,000MHz, it's clear the overall system was overwhelmed by the game's demands. This experiment highlights the significant gap that still exists between mobile and console/PC gaming capabilities for graphically intensive titles.
A Glimpse of the Future?
The ability to even attempt running Black Myth: Wukong on a smartphone is impressive, showcasing how far mobile hardware has come. However, the sub-par performance serves as a reminder that AAA gaming experiences on mobile devices may still be a few years away from matching their console counterparts.
Controversy Surrounds Success
While Black Myth: Wukong has garnered critical acclaim, it hasn't been without controversy. Reports indicate that Game Science, the Chinese developer, imposed strict content guidelines on early reviewers. These restrictions included bans on discussing topics such as feminist propaganda, politics, and COVID-19.
This approach has sparked debate within the gaming community, with some influencers and reviewers choosing to defy these guidelines or refuse coverage altogether.
The Bottom Line
Black Myth: Wukong remains a technical showcase and commercial success on its intended platforms. While mobile gaming continues to evolve rapidly, this experiment demonstrates that the most demanding PC and console titles still pose significant challenges for even the latest smartphone hardware.