Look, most gaming devices can get tough on the wallet. And, when you’re mainly playing on your phone, it can be gut-wrenchingly expensive to get yourself a gaming phone within your budget. You want to play without too much pay and the underrated Infinix has you covered.
Infinix has consistently released great phones that deliver every bang-for-your-buck and their recent release is no exception. What’s the latest addition to their great line-up? The Infinix HOT 11S.
Is this what a gaming phone should look like?
The Infinix HOT 11s is a dual-sim budget gaming smartphone with a 6.78-inch Full HD with a 90Hz refresh rate and 180Hz touch sampling rate. It’s decked out in three different colors: Polar Black, 7°Purple, and Green Wave.
On top of the wave design on the back, the phone is encased in plastic–making for a fingerprint-smearing city. Just be more forgiving though–most phones tend to do so. If anything, the wave design takes away the smearing which I think is genius.
To manage expectations, the phone features and specifications aren’t necessarily what people would view as technologically new or revolutionary. Remember, we’re talking budget here. But, with phones on the same price range, this one delivers on all fronts of durable, functional, and quality mobile gaming without breaking the bank.
The phone has loud dual speakers, a decent battery life, and reliable performance that makes it stand out, especially with its price tag.
More than just casual play
The Infinix HOT 11S is powered by a MediaTek Helio G88 gaming processor paired with 6GB RAM and 128GB storage. If you’re worried about storage, the phone has a dedicated microSD card slot. But, note that the phone has more than enough space to run your favorite games and apps on the Google Play Store without much of a hitch.
The Infinix Note 7 doesn’t falter on features when tested. The phone didn’t stutter or struggle when putting it through the stress test of scrolling, unlocking, and opening and closing multiple apps. On top of that, the Infinix HOT 11S has a 5000mAh battery that makes your daily grind of work and play look easy.
For the try-hards on a budget
For gaming, the phone didn’t seem at all bothered with Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, League of Legends Wild Rift, The Gardens Between, and Genshin Impact. The phone held up to its dependable battery life despite a full day of work and play. You can play with reckless abandon and, with the sleek display, you’re in for accurate and smooth gameplay.
The Infinix HOT 11S even brought in game-boosting features to keep all your budget try-hard a shot at having the best without paying for it. You can tinker and play with the phone’s settings with Dar-Link Ultimate Game Booster. And, you can keep those settings and games saved up all in the Game Zone.
Does size matter?
The Infinix HOT 11s has a “big” display for a phone. And, how big is too big or is it big at all? The phone isn’t too far off being a love child of a tablet and phone. With its 6.78-inch FHD display and dual speakers, the phone makes watching Netflix or playing games an overall immersive experience.
It’s good to note that Infinix has had questionable size-ups with HD+ displays. So, for me, the HOT 11s has much more balanced specs with a reasonable downsize and an upgrade to a Full HD display.
The cake is a lie
Hear me out here: The Infinix HOT 11S features a triple-camera set-up with a 50MP main shooter. On the front, the phone has an 8MP selfie camera. These specs are great considering we’ve got a gaming phone in our hands here. But, it can be an absolute headache when we’ve seen Infinix do better in this category and flop to join the gaming phone camera specs budget cut bandwagon.
The Infinix HOT 11S takes detailed and gorgeous shots, well beyond most budget gaming phones. Well, until the sun sets and it’s dark out. It doesn’t do well in little lighting and loses the battle with detail to the dimness.
But, to clarify, that goes with most photos in the dark. I took some shots of my cat in a dimly lit room and it came out horribly as opposed to a shot I took of her in the day.
On the 8MP selfie camera side, it performs well under good lighting. I was by a window when I took a selfie and it came out great.
The phone has a ton of features for both video and photo so, you’ll be sure to have fun with it when you’re not playing games.
Is this your GamingMatch or BudgetMatch?
If you’re looking for a gaming phone that doesn’t tear your wallet to shreds, this is the phone for you. There’s nothing much to complain about this phone besides the typical gaming phone cuts on the camera. But, even then, the phone delivers good photos.
The Infinix Hot 11s is a great phone for your daily grind if you’re looking for a gaming phone that delivers on functionality, efficiency, and durability without taking your money and wallet too.
The Infinix HOT 11s costs PhP 7,990 (US$ 165).
Gaming
Nintendo might be working on an Ocarina of Time remake
It will reportedly launch in the second half of 2026.
What is the greatest game of all time? There’s a substantial chance that The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time will be on the board. Even beside the Switch’s critically acclaimed Breath of the Wild duology, the Nintendo 64 title is one of the most quintessential games you can ever play. That said, it’s pretty dated. But maybe, not for long.
According to Nintendo insider NatetheHate, the company is working on a rerelease of Ocarina of Time. The title is scheduled for launch within the second half of 2026.
The wording is important here. “Rerelease” can mean anything. To be fair, NatetheHate, through his latest podcast, says that it’s likely we’ll get either a like-for-like remake or a full reimagining of the essential game. However, he does not discount the possibility that it’s just an HD remaster for the new consoles. Either way, Ocarina of Time is coming back this year.
If you can’t wait, the title isn’t exactly missing from the shelves. You can play the original from the list of available games through Nintendo Switch Online. The game also got a remaster for the 3DS.
There is no shortage of Zelda-related news lately. The franchise is getting a live-action adaptation next year, which now becomes a worthy follow-up to The Super Mario Galaxy Movie coming early next month.
SEE ALSO: The Legend of Zelda film gets its first official photos
Gaming
Life is Strange: Reunion now available on consoles and PC
Max and Chloe return for an emotional finale
Bandai Namco Entertainment Asia and Square Enix have officially launched Life is Strange: Reunion, the latest entry in the narrative adventure series. Developed by Deck Nine Games, the title is now available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam and the Microsoft Store. A physical PlayStation 5 edition is also available across Southeast Asia.
The launch comes with an official trailer, marking the return of one of the franchise’s most beloved storylines.
A long-awaited reunion
Set 11 years after the original events, Life is Strange: Reunion brings back Max Caulfield and Chloe Price as they reunite to solve a new timeline-spanning mystery. This time, the stakes center on a devastating inferno threatening Caledon University–Max’s workplace as a photography teacher.
Returning from a trip, Max discovers the campus engulfed in flames, with lives lost across the university. She survives only by using her Rewind ability, a power that allows her to reverse time.
The situation takes an unexpected turn with Chloe’s sudden arrival–an outcome tied to the timeline-merging events of Life is Strange: Double Exposure. Now dealing with fractured memories and an unstable sense of reality, Chloe once again finds herself relying on Max.
Dual perspectives, new gameplay dynamics
For the first time in the series, players can take control of both Max and Chloe, switching perspectives as the story unfolds.
Max’s Rewind power lets players revisit decisions, reshape conversations, and manipulate environments to solve complex, time-based puzzles. Meanwhile, Chloe brings her signature Backtalk ability, allowing her to push conversations in her favor and access situations Max cannot.
This dual-character approach expands both narrative depth and gameplay variety, offering different ways to uncover clues and influence outcomes.
A character-driven finale
Life is Strange: Reunion continues the series’ focus on grounded, emotional storytelling, with choices that carry meaningful consequences. The game builds toward a dramatic climax that aims to close out Max and Chloe’s journey.
As the final chapter in their story, Reunion positions itself as both a continuation and a conclusion–tying together years of narrative threads while delivering a new mystery shaped by time, loss, and choice.
Gaming
Nintendo will make it cheaper to buy digital games than physical
Physical releases will have the same price.
The days of lining up for a newly released game are well and truly over. Though some games still experience shortages in brick-and-mortar stores, such as the widely successful Pokémon Pokopia, gamers can get their titles digitally. Now, Nintendo is making digital releases more enticing by offering a tempting discount on the eShop.
Starting in May, Nintendo will start charging different prices for the physical and digital releases of first-party games. While physical releases will still have the same prices going forward, digital releases via the eShop will enjoy a discount.
The discount, of course, will likely depend on the title itself. Nintendo has already given the upcoming Yoshi and the Mysterious Book as the first example. The new platformer will cost US$ 70 from retailers. However, it will cost only US$ 60 on the digital eShop.
The company says that the new pricing scheme “simply reflects the different costs associated with producing and distributing each format.” With the prices of chips skyrocketing, it’s no surprise that the physical release is more expensive than the digital one.
To be more technical about it, Nintendo has started skipping a physical game card for a while now. The physical release of Pokémon Pokopia, for example, has only a game-key card or a code to download the game. In this format, physical releases are just pretty cases you can display on your shelf.
Also, digital releases do carry the added risk of getting delisted on the whims of the developers, the publishers, or Nintendo itself. It is, however, still a cheaper option, especially in a world where getting any discount is a welcome thought.
SEE ALSO: Nintendo sues the United States
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