OnePlus Nord CE5 vs Infinix GT 30 Pro gaming review: which is the better gaming phone under Rs 25,000?

• By Dhruv Joshi
Published On: 16 October 2025 | 15:05 IST

Playing games on smartphones has steadily evolved from an occasional pastime to one of its core functions. A good chunk of smartphone users in the affordable to mid-range segments are heavy gamers, especially young adults. So today, I’ll be comparing the OnePlus Nord CE5 (review) and Infinix GT 30 Pro (review), both under Rs 25,000, to see which one offers a superior gaming performance.

Now, both of these phones use the same MediaTek Dimensity 8350 SoC. The key difference here is their approach: while the OnePlus Nord CE5 is a balanced, performance-aligned smartphone, the Infinix GT 30 Pro is designed as a gaming-first device. In this comparison, I’ll try to paint a picture of how the gaming experience feels on each device, including raw performance, particularly with Infinix’s suite of gaming features, and see if they present any real value.

Criteria

For the purposes of this comparison, I’ll be comparing the phone’s gaming performance across two titles, Genshin Impact and BGMI. Both of these games are rather demanding and can comfortably stress the chipsets in longer gaming sessions. I kept the graphical settings, brightness, volume and charging levels identical across both phones for a fair comparison.

Note: The review units for this comparison have one key difference. The Infinix GT 30 Pro has 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM, while the OnePlus Nord CE5 has 8GB LPDDR5X. This gap could lead to some differences in performance, which I’ll highlight in the results below:

Genshin Impact

I often use Genshin Impact in my gaming tests because it’s a demanding game, even for top-tier flagships at their maximum settings. For this comparison, I used a custom preset (details in the image below) and played on the same account to ensure the settings were identical on both phones.

Now, let’s talk about the actual performance. I did not enable any frame generation technology on either device, wanting to test their raw output. I expected that they could achieve decent numbers on my custom preset, but both devices failed to deliver consistent 60 FPS. The average output for both hovered around the 50-54 FPS mark, which was within expectations.

I played for roughly 1.5 hours on each phone, so these numbers are a good indicator of their sustained performance capabilities over time. You can check out the detailed stats in the chart below.

Looking at the numbers, you’ll note that the OnePlus Nord CE5 (review) has a higher average FPS (53.4) and a higher maximum FPS (61.0), but the performance graph tells the actual story. The Nord CE5’s performance has sharp dips, which indicate significant frame rate drops. True to the numbers, I definitely felt the game stuttering at times while playing on the Nord CE5. Another good metric here is smoothness, which measures the stability of the gameplay above 45 FPS. The Nord gets a score of about 70 percent, which is decent but highlights the inconsistency.

Although the Nord CE5 hits higher peaks, the Infinix GT 30 Pro offers a better, more consistent experience. Its average FPS might be slightly lower, but its gameplay is incredibly stable, with a smoothness rating of 99 percent and better 5 percent low framerate at 42.9 FPS. The graph reflects this, showing a much flatter, more consistent line. In my experience, the Infinix GT 30 Pro had minimal frame drops. The game might dip slightly in intensive cutscenes, but there were rarely any noticeable stutters. This result, in some part, can definitely be attributed to the surplus 4GB RAM on the GT 30 Pro.

Regarding thermals, the Scene app showed the Infinix GT 30 Pro (review)’s temperature rise to be higher than that of the Nord CE5, and I confirmed this observation, as the Infinix phone indeed felt hotter while gaming. Although the gap isn’t large by any means, the Nord CE5 runs cooler in longer gaming sessions, thanks to its larger vapour chamber. Considering the overall performance output, the Infinix GT 30 Pro gets the edge in Genshin.

BGMI

BGMI is arguably one of the most popular mobile games in India, so it’s only natural that we test both phones’ capabilities with this title.

There is one key difference in how these phones handle high frame rates in BGMI. The Infinix GT 30 Pro offers native 120 FPS support through its “Ultra Extreme Frames” setting. The OnePlus Nord CE5, however, tops out at a native 90 FPS with its “Extreme+” mode. To level the playing field, I used the Adaptive Frame Booster on the Nord CE5 to push its gameplay to a target of 120 FPS.

For the test itself, I set the graphics to ‘Smooth’ on both phones, with 80 percent screen brightness and 50 percent volume. I played for roughly 1.5 hours on each device. To ensure the data reflects actual gameplay, I only recorded frame rates during the matches. You’ll see the data presented in 20-30 minute segments, as returning to the game lobby caps the frame rate and would skew the results.

The BGMI results are not as straightforward as you might think. Looking at the numbers, you’ll see the OnePlus Nord CE5 puts on an incredible show. Across two matches, it averaged around 117 FPS with nearly 100 percent smoothness. The 5 percent low numbers are also very high, staying above 107 FPS, which basically means you’re getting an exceptionally stable and fluid experience with almost no frame drops in the frametime graph.​

Now, for the Infinix GT 30 Pro. Its first match was pretty great, averaging 109.1 FPS with 99.9% smoothness, a great result by any measure. However, in the second match, something went wrong. The app registered a severe drop in FPS in certain places, although my personal experience did not reflect that at all. The game felt smooth, and while there were some frame drops, I can chalk those up to an unusual number of intense firefights in that specific round. The actual performance was a lot closer to its first match.

There’s another point to note. The OnePlus Nord CE5 is technically running the game at a native 90 FPS and utilising its Adaptive Frame Booster to insert “fake” frames, giving you the 120 FPS feel. The Infinix, on the other hand, is running at a native 120 FPS. However, even with its frame boost, the Nord CE5 felt more consistent and delivered a smoother experience during my testing. At the end of the day, what matters is how the game actually plays, and in this round, the OnePlus Nord CE5 simply felt better.

The gaming X-factor: features beyond performance

So far, we’ve focused on raw performance, and while the Nord CE5 is pretty evenly matched, this is where the Infinix GT 30 Pro really shows its gaming DNA. A smooth frame rate is one thing, but the actual gaming experience is another, and Infinix has packed this phone with features that the Nord completely lacks.

The Infinix GT 30 Pro is a phone built for people who actually play games. The GT Shoulder Triggers are a huge advantage in shooting games, giving you physical buttons for aiming and firing. Beyond that, its Magic Box software suite includes a bunch of handy, quality-of-life features that make grinding in games so much easier. Things like Auto Dialogue Progression for skipping through tedious NPC chats, Auto Item Pickup so you’re not constantly tapping the screen, and a Running Lock for long treks across a map are small touches that add up to a much better experience.

This entire layer of user experience is just missing on the OnePlus Nord CE5. It has the power, but it doesn’t have the dedicated gaming toolkit. If you’re a serious mobile gamer, this is a massive point in Infinix’s favour.

Verdict: performance vs gaming experience

So, which phone is the better gaming device under Rs 25,000? After all the testing, it’s clear this isn’t a simple choice.

The OnePlus Nord CE5 (review) proved to be a surprisingly consistent performer. Despite having less RAM and using frame boosting in BGMI, it delivered an incredibly stable and smooth gameplay experience that, in my testing, often felt better than its competitor. It runs cooler during long sessions and shows what a well-optimised, performance-aligned phone can do. If all you care about is hitting a stable, high frame rate in your favourite games, the Nord CE5 is a fantastic pick.

However, the Infinix GT 30 Pro (review) is, without a doubt, the true gaming phone of the two. While its performance had some inconsistencies in our tests, the shoulder triggers and useful software features in the Magic Box suite make a gamer’s life easier. It’s built for people who spend hours gaming.

It comes down to what you want in a gaming smartphone. If you want more stable raw performance, the Nord CE5 is a good choice. But if you want the complete gaming package, with hardware and software built from the ground up for gamers, the Infinix GT 30 Pro is the one to go for.