The MediaTek Dimensity 9400 chip is finally here and could be a game-changer for the Android gaming landscape. Previously, MediaTek struggled to compete at the flagship level, but we saw a drastic change with the Dimensity 9300 last year. The brand is building on that success with the new 9400 and taking the fight directly to Qualcomm and Apple. In some cases, it might win.
Popular Chinese YouTuber Geekerwan already got his hands on the Dimensity 9400-powered Oppo Find X8 Pro and put it head-to-head against the iPhone 16 Pro’s A18 Pro chipset. The tests show that this new chip is still slightly behind Apple’s best in the CPU-based Geekbench 6 benchmark, but storms ahead when it comes to graphics-heavy workloads. You might even see devices equipped with the Dimensity 9400 make it onto our list of the best gaming phones over the next few months. They’ll need to be pretty impressive to beat out performance powerhouses like the Asus ROG Phone 8 Pro, though.
In 3DMark’s Steel Nomad Light GPU test (via NotebookCheck), the Dimensity 9400 scored 2,700, while the A18 Pro only managed 2,200, and last year’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 lagged behind with 1,800. GPU performance relates to how quickly your phone loads apps and games and renders graphics, so this is a big win for mobile gamers, especially fans of the more demanding mobile games like Honkai Star Rail and PUBG Mobile. The Dimensity 9400 also draws less power than its Apple rival during this test, though the difference is marginal.
The opposite was true with the CPU-based task, which saw the Dimensity 9400 consuming 18W, compared to just 12W on the A18 Pro. This means battery life will differ depending on how you use the phone. It may not have the same stamina as Apple for daily tasks, but graphics-heavy games shouldn’t drain the power down quite as quickly.
Of course, benchmark tests are one thing, but what about real gaming performance? Chinese outlet WhyLab posted a video on Weibo showing the Oppo Find X8 Pro beating the iPhone 16 Pro in a Genshin Impact test. The Oppo maintained a higher framerate, lower maximum temperature, and decreased total power consumption throughout.

So, when will we start seeing Dimensity-powered phones? Obviously, the Oppo Find X8 series uses the chip, and the Vivo X200 series is confirmed to utilize it too. These phones have just launched in China, and we’ve got our fingers crossed for a global release soon.
A new rumor says that Samsung may equip its upcoming S25-series phones with this chip, but time will tell how true that is. Either way, these big leaps in processor tech are great for gamers, and there could be more on the horizon with the upcoming Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 launch. Still, if you can’t wait for a new device, our guides to the best mid-range phones and the best Android phones are full of plenty of options to meet your needs and budget.