OnePlus’ High Performance Mode forces your device’s CPU and GPU to run at higher clock speeds. You prefer to use this mode when you can’t sacrifice any power from your phone, as it would detract from the experience, but it would drain your battery. A good example is games. OnePlus has a dedicated gaming mode, but it focuses on immersion by blocking calls, closing apps, and turning off notifications when a gaming app is in session; High performance is different and often complements it to maximize potential, but it risks thermal throttling.
High Performance works at the system settings level and removes any battery saving options that may sabotage CPU/GPU usage. Normally, you find High Performance mode in the battery settings. Typically, technical reviewers use High Performance mode for benchmark testing, hardware stress testing, or simply to experience the maximum performance the phone can handle. In most cases, however, OnePlus devices are sufficient with the usual power settings for everyday use.
For example, you can play moderate games in Balanced mode (some games are already limited to 60 FPS), and adding the High Performance setting won’t improve it much; this will only drain the battery and produce a lot of heat. High performance is only worth it in very specialized situations, such as when you’re rendering lots of 3D assets and don’t want frame drops, when trying to upload 4K video at 60 FPS or 120 FPS, or during editing, where heavy processing is required.
Thermal throttling can harm a device’s performance
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Although High Performance mode looks good on paper, it can sometimes cause unintended performance drops. For example, CPU and thermal throttling. Thermal throttling can be an issue with High Performance mode depending on the thermal management solution, as some phones handle it better than others, like the OnePlus 15, but that’s no surprise, as it outperforms Samsung’s Galaxy S26 in terms of gaming. Generally, if your device can’t stay cool, that’s when thermal throttling comes into play, as it’s a safety mechanism built into OxygenOS.
Essentially, the software detects that your device is operating at unsafe temperatures, typically between 101 and 113 degrees Fahrenheit skin temperature (internal temperature can be considerably higher). When this happens, overall performance deteriorates as your phone attempts to cool itself by reducing CPU usage. It’s a little counterintuitive to what you’re trying to accomplish with your phone’s High Performance profile, but it can happen. That’s why if you’re trying to push your phone to greater heights, you may want to consider other options that don’t necessarily force your phone’s processor to run at higher speeds.
Consider other options to improve your OnePlus phone’s performance
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Fortunately, you don’t need to rely on high performance to improve your use of OnePlus. There are several ways to get a boost. The first is to use Game Mode, specifically Pro Gaming Mode – it activates when you launch an app through OnePlus Game Space. You can also set it as per-app default in the Game Assistant app via Performance Settings. Pro Gaming mode improves performance by focusing on image stability and reducing touch latency; This will drain your battery, but it’s not as harsh as High Performance mode.
If you’re not a gamer or video editor but still want your OnePlus to look cool and responsive, you can change your screen refresh rate in the Display and Brightness settings. It’s a simple tip and ideal for everyday use. You can choose between auto-select, standard, high, or app-specific refresh rate as radio button options. Selecting High sets the refresh rate to 120Hz. However, this can consume battery power. If you want a compromise, you can choose automatic selection, which uses an optimal refresh rate but also preserves your battery.
