Samsung Galaxy Grand Prime gaming performance honest review

December 26, 2025
Shweta Sharma

Introduction of Samsung Galaxy Grand Prime

The Samsung Galaxy Grand Prime was originally launched as a budget-friendly smartphone aimed at everyday users who wanted reliable performance without a high price tag. Over the years, this device has become a topic of curiosity for gamers and casual users alike, especially in markets like the UAE, where smartphone gaming is booming thanks to better mobile networks and a thriving Android ecosystem.

In this honest review, we’re focusing on gaming performance on the Samsung Galaxy Grand Prime, including real-world gameplay experience, benchmark implications, hardware limitations, and what UAE users should realistically expect if gaming is a priority. We’ll go deep into performance details, discuss global test findings and benchmark insights, and provide a clear verdict on how it performs with popular games in 2025.

Galaxy Grand Prime – Hardware Breakdown

The Samsung Galaxy Grand Prime is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 SoC with a quad-core Cortex-A53 CPU, paired with 1 GB RAM and an Adreno 306 GPU. It also features a 5-inch TFT display with a resolution of 960 × 540 pixels.

What This Means for Gaming

CPU & GPU: The Snapdragon 410 and Adreno 306 were modest even at launch — in 2025 terms, they are significantly underpowered for modern gaming.
Memory: With only 1 GB RAM, multitasking and heavier games struggle due to limited memory bandwidth.
Display Resolution: While the lower resolution makes it easier to render graphics faster, it doesn’t compensate for the lack of raw GPU power.

Brief takeaway: This is a basic handset best suited for simple titles rather than modern 3D gaming.

Benchmark Reality – What Numbers Tell Us

Benchmark scores give us a macro view of how this device performs under stress.

Geekbench & AnTuTu Results

Geekbench scores are extremely low, with a single-core score that places the Grand Prime near the bottom of modern smartphone performance lists — showing it’s well below average among devices even a few years old.
AnTuTu total score (~20,000) reflects the entry-level nature of the hardware.

3DMark Scores

Public benchmark submissions show very weak graphics results (e.g., 45 graphics score on some tests), indicating struggles with OpenGL/3D workloads.

Benchmark summary: The Galaxy Grand Prime doesn’t just lag behind flagship phones — it performs at the bottom of the smartphone performance ladder. It simply doesn’t have the headroom required for demanding games.

Real Gaming Experience – What to Expect

Benchmarks tell a story, but real gaming tests reveal the full picture.

Light Games

Titles like Temple Run, Subway Surfers, or simple puzzle games run smoothly with negligible frame drops thanks to the low display resolution and lightweight graphics requirements. Even 2D games and basic 3D casual games work fine.

Older 3D Games

Games such as Asphalt 8 Airborne are playable, but experience periodic stutter — smoothness varies depending on how optimized the game is.

Modern or CPU/GPU-Heavy Games

When you try high-end 3D games like:

GTA San Andreas
Modern Combat 5
Real Racing 3

These titles either fail to load properly, drop frames massively, or become unplayable even at the lowest settings. This indicates the limitations of the Adreno 306 GPU handling complex game engines.

Consistency & Thermal Throttling

Interestingly, the device doesn’t heat up severely — typical temperature only reaches moderately warm levels during heavier use, which means the hardware simply isn’t pushing hard enough to generate heat.

Real gameplay verdict: Great for casual titles, acceptable for very light 3D games, but not suitable for modern mobile gaming.

What UAE Gamers Should Know

In the UAE, mobile gaming is a huge trend — titles like PUBG Mobile, Call of Duty Mobile, Genshin Impact, and others are extremely popular. These games demand robust CPUs, modern GPUs, at least 3–4 GB RAM, and support for advanced graphics APIs such as Vulkan and high-refresh-rate displays.

Where the Grand Prime Fits

Perfect for classic Android games.
Acceptable for casual gaming (puzzle, light 3D).
Not recommended for resource-intense titles or competitive mobile gaming.

Network & Battery

The phone’s battery is adequate for casual gaming sessions — but extended gaming will drain it quickly due to older battery efficiency standards.
LTE support enables decent online play for lighter titles, but lag and latency can still occur if you multitask mid-game.

If most of your gaming is casual and social (e.g., Candy Crush, Subway Surfers), the Grand Prime can serve you. But for anything heavy or competitive, it’s not the ideal choice.

Gaming Performance vs. Everyday Performance

Gaming on this phone is symptomatic of its overall performance constraints:

Daily Use

Smooth for calls, messaging, browsing.
Social media apps run, but not without occasional sluggishness.

Performance in Games

Benchmark and real tests confirm modest GPU performance.
Limited RAM means app switching while gaming results in reloads.

These limitations aren’t unique to the UAE; they apply globally. But with UAE users often demanding more performance for apps and games, the Galaxy Grand Prime simply isn’t designed for modern mobile entertainment expectations.

Expert & User Opinions – What Community Reviews Say

User reviews from tech communities and reviewers typically highlight:

Acceptable casual gaming.
Poor performance in 3D games.
Some even describe lag and stuttering during mainstream titles.

Experts agree that while this device was decent for its time, mobile gaming expectations have vastly outpaced what its hardware can deliver today.

Alternatives for UAE Gamers

If your priority is gaming performance in the UAE market, consider devices with:

At least 4 GB RAM
Mid-range SoCs like Snapdragon 6xx/7xx or Dimensity series
Better GPU performance (e.g., Adreno 610 and above)

These will offer:

Higher FPS in games
Better battery efficiency
More future-proof performance

The Grand Prime remains an affordable entry-level device but not ideal for gaming.

Final Verdict – Is It Worth It for Gaming?

Not for modern gaming. The Samsung Galaxy Grand Prime holds up for casual titles but lacks the horsepower for modern 3D games that UAE gamers increasingly expect in 2025. Even though some older games might run, performance restrictions — due to limited RAM and ageing Snapdragon 410 hardware — make it a poor choice for gaming enthusiasts. Even simple benchmarks show the Galaxy Grand Prime at the lower end of performance charts, far behind devices built for mobile gaming.

If your priority in the UAE is everyday usage with occasional light gaming, it may still suffice — but if gaming is important, modern phones with stronger GPUs and more memory are essential.