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Yes, if the game can render more frames and the phone can sustain them. A higher-refresh display can make supported games look smoother and show new frames more often. But a 120 Hz screen does not make a game capped at 60 FPS render at 120 FPS, and the faster display mode can use more battery.
Refresh rate and game FPS are different
Refresh rate, measured in hertz (Hz), is how often a display can update. Frame rate, measured in frames per second (FPS), is how often a game produces a new image. A higher refresh rate helps only when the game supplies frames at a rate the display can use and delivers them consistently.
For example, a game capped at 60 FPS cannot supply 120 distinct game frames per second just because the phone has a 120 Hz panel. The display may repeat frames, but the game’s rendering rate has not increased. Android’s game-development guidance says that when the display refresh rate exceeds a game’s target frame rate, the higher rate provides no benefit for that game and increases power consumption. Android’s guidance on power efficiency explains this limitation.
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Even when a game supports a high frame rate, average FPS is not the whole experience. Unevenly timed frames can look jerky despite a high average. Android recommends matching frame presentation to the display and using presentation timestamps to help avoid judder. Its frame-pacing guidance describes these techniques.
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What a higher refresh rate can improve
Motion smoothness
When a game renders and presents more frames, motion can appear smoother, and changes on screen can be shown more frequently. Android notes that common modern display rates include 90 Hz and 120 Hz, compared with the traditional 60 Hz rate for handheld devices. The benefit depends on the game’s frame-rate support, the phone’s performance, and consistent frame delivery.
A 2025 study by Bingxin Li and colleagues tested 76 users scrolling on 60, 90, and 120 Hz mobile displays. Participants reported better smoothness and less screen jitter at 90 and 120 Hz than at 60 Hz; subjective differences between 90 and 120 Hz were negligible across most scrolling tasks. That study concerns scrolling perception, not game performance or competitive results. Read the study record.
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Touch-to-display response
A faster display can be one part of showing the result of an input sooner, but refresh rate is not the same as touch-sampling rate or total touch latency. The time from a tap to a visible response also depends on touchscreen sensing, operating-system input handling, game logic, render queues, frame scheduling, and display scanout.
Android 15 includes adaptive refresh behavior on supported devices that can raise the refresh rate after a touch and keep it elevated briefly after the touch ends. This is a platform behavior, not a guarantee that every Android phone or game uses the same touch rate or has the same latency. Android’s adaptive-refresh documentation describes the supported behavior.
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Qualcomm says its Game Quick Touch feature can reduce touch-to-display latency by “up to 20%.” That is a vendor claim about the feature, not a general result of switching a display from 60 Hz to 120 Hz. Qualcomm’s feature description provides its claim.
Why a high-refresh phone may not deliver high-FPS gaming
- The game may cap FPS. Check the individual game’s graphics or performance settings and whether that title supports your device. A faster panel cannot remove a game-imposed cap.
- The operating system may not switch modes. An app can request a frame rate without getting a matching display mode. Android says battery saver or a higher-priority screen surface can prevent the requested change. Android’s frame-rate documentation explains these constraints.
- Heat can reduce sustained performance. High CPU and GPU use produces heat, and Android says a phone may throttle those components to cool down. A brief high-FPS result does not show what the phone will sustain over a longer session. Android’s power-efficiency guidance covers thermal limits.
- Display settings may impose restrictions. On some Samsung devices, 120 Hz may not be available at WQHD+ resolution, and Power saving mode may switch the screen to Standard. Exact options depend on the model. Samsung’s refresh-rate settings guide lists examples.
- Higher refresh can use more battery. Android says faster display rates increase panel power consumption. Samsung describes Standard mode as offering better battery life than High mode, with Adaptive mode available on supported models.
How to judge whether it will help your games
- Check the game first. Look for a selectable high-FPS or performance option in that game’s settings, and verify compatibility for your phone. A 120 Hz specification alone does not confirm 120-FPS support.
- Confirm the phone’s active display mode. Check the display or motion-smoothness setting in the phone’s system settings. On some models, resolution and power-saving mode affect which refresh options are available; use the manufacturer’s model-specific instructions.
- Test a sustained session. Pay attention to whether motion stays smooth after the phone warms up, rather than relying only on a short test or a menu counter. Frame pacing and stability matter alongside peak FPS.
- Weigh the battery cost. Compare the phone’s behavior in its standard and high-refresh modes during the kind of play you actually do. The higher rate may be worthwhile for supported games, but it is not free in power use.
- Keep touch claims separate. For games where responsiveness matters, look for measurements of touch-to-display latency for the specific phone and mode. Do not treat touch-sampling rate or a display’s Hz rating as a direct substitute.
What the gaming evidence does—and does not—show
The available scrolling study supports a perceptual smoothness benefit for 90 and 120 Hz compared with 60 Hz in its tested tasks; it does not establish improved game scores, reaction time, or competitive advantage. A separate 2024 first-person-shooter study record describes 26 participants tested at 30, 60, 120, 144, and 240 Hz, measuring scores, accuracy, and self-ratings, but the accessible abstract record does not state its results. It therefore cannot support a conclusion about whether higher refresh rates improve shooting-game performance. View the study record.
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Should you choose a 90 Hz or 120 Hz phone for gaming?
Compare the games you play, their supported FPS on the exact phone, frame pacing, sustained performance, heat, battery behavior, and any resolution or power-mode restrictions. A 90-to-120 Hz upgrade should not be assumed to be twice as beneficial as a 60-to-90 Hz change; the cited scrolling research found negligible subjective differences between 90 and 120 Hz across most tested scrolling tasks, and it did not test games.
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Choose a high-refresh phone for gaming when your preferred games support higher frame rates and the device can maintain them. If those games are capped at 60 FPS, or the phone cannot sustain higher rates, the larger Hz number alone is not a meaningful gaming upgrade.
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