New ARM smartphone chip supports DirectX 11

ARM’s new smartphone processor is ten times more powerful than the Samsung Galaxy 2, the chip’s manufacturer has claimed.

Cambridge-based ARM says that its new Mali-T658 graphics chip will be able to power HD quality gaming on mobile platforms resulting in a similar graphics performance to current gen consoles.

ARM revealed the processor could be scaled up to eight cores for more graphic intensive apps, whilst also support DirectX 11 and OpenGL.

The firm added it also enables use of computational photography, image processing and augmented reality.

“Next generation consumer devices based on the Mali-T658 GPU will address the growing user expectation for slick user interfaces and desktop-class graphics,” said ARM boss Pete Hutton.

“Intuitive user interfaces will mean that consumers can access the full functionality of their connected devices, for richer user experiences. This includes HD gaming and new compute-intensive applications, such as augmented reality.”

No release data was given for the processor, but it is likely to be released in around two years.