You may hold one of the best gaming phones without knowing it. High-end phones have so much processing power and incredible screens that it would be a shame not to play your favourite games on one. And with services like Apple Arcade, a vast library of games is within reach of many iPhone users.
Today's best dealsThat said, iPhones aren't the only game phones. While flagship smartphones like the Galaxy and iPhone are great for gaming, many other phones like the Nubia Red Magic or Xiaomi Shark were explicitly designed for gaming. The ability to game doesn't stop when you're away from your gaming console.
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Aside from their gaming prowess, many of these gaming phones are top-notch for everyday use. It's truly a win-win. If gaming is in your blood, you can't go wrong with our recommendations for the best phones for gaming below.
How did we pick the best gaming smartphones?
As with every review, our collection of the best gaming smartphones is based on several factors. Chief among them is our own experience. We're familiar with a lot of technology, and our lists consider that. We are also keen to know what others think, so we check how things are evaluated in the short and long term. Finally, we try to ensure that there is something for everyone on these lists, no matter your budget.
What to look for when choosing the best gaming smartphones
When looking for the best gaming smartphones, you'll want to keep an eye out for several different things. For starters, you will want a great screen and good battery life. You'll also need a fast processor. Otherwise, your phone won't be able to handle the latest phones. We also recommend picking one that does well with multiple connections, as you'll probably want to use a Bluetooth controller while connected to WiFi, so making sure the phone can cope is essential. That last point won't be an issue here.
1. iPhone 13 Pro Max
BEST IPHONE FOR GAMING
As long as you don't mind the price, you'll be hard-pressed to find a better phone for gaming than the iPhone 13 Pro Max. This is an excellent phone with a 6.7-inch screen that can display all your games at their best, high-speed processing thanks to the A15 Bionic chip, and surprisingly long battery life. Plus, you can access Apple Arcade, which many consider the best gaming experience available on cell phones.
Buy: iPhone 13 Pro Max
2. Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra
THE BEST SAMSUNG FOR GAMES
If the most important thing for you is size, then the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra is for you. Of course, it wouldn't be one of the best gaming smartphones just because of its screen, which is why you'll be happy to know that it also has an impressive battery, excellent processing power and even comes with an S Pen, which can be used for some games too.
3. Google Pixel 6 Pro
THE BEST GOOGLE FOR GAMES
Google has been pretty tough on phones for a while now, so it's no surprise that the Google Pixel 6 Pro is on our list of best gaming phones. While it's not explicitly designed for gaming, the brilliant battery life, excellent processor and 120HZ display combine to make it one of the best gaming smartphones. Seriously, this thing feels like it outperforms consoles at times.
Buy: Google Pixel 6 Pro
4. Asus Rog Phone 5
ALSO GREAT
The combination of the 144Hz refresh rate on the Asus' 6.78-inch AMOLED display is hard to beat. Thanks to the Snapdragon 888 chipset and 16GB of RAM, this phone can run power-hungry and processing-intensive games. It's truly designed for gamers, with customizable RGB lighting and stereo speakers. The look and feel may not be for everyone, but this gaming phone should be strongly considered for severe gamers.
Buy: Asus Rog Phone 5
5. Black Shark 4 Pro
SUPER CHARGE BATTERY
If an $800 phone stretches your budget too far for a premium gaming phone, the Black Shark 4 Pro has a lot to offer under $600. The 128GB of storage is plenty for gaming, and while the 8GB of RAM isn't as powerful as some of the other premium options, it can still tackle many games without issue. The 120W battery hypercharge shines compared to other gaming phones, as just five minutes on a charger replenishes 50% of the battery life, while 15 minutes of charging gives you a fully charged phone. That's pretty crazy.
Buy: Black Shark 4 Pro
6. OnePlus 10 Pro
A GREAT OPTION AT UNDER $1000.
The sub-$1000 price tag is even more appealing when you consider the powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset that powers this gaming phone. The chipset tears through some of the most intensive games, and with the 120Hz refresh rate, you won't have to deal with any glitching or buffering while still looking great on the screen. Add an excellent battery life that can last up to 12 hours, and the OnePlus 10 Pro becomes an even more attractive gaming phone option.
Buy: OnePlus 10 Pro
7. REDMAGIC 7 165Hz Gaming Phone
JUST AWESOME.
This phone is simply amazing in its construction and performance. I wouldn't call this a "gaming" phone. I would call this a performance phone.
The build quality is superior to other glass phones. It has weight, style and tricks that make people look at it and if you want to stand out from the crowd with a phone.
The screen is perfect. The brightness of the HDR content is excellent. 1080p and above is just an incredible visual experience. There are no outliers. The refresh rate is fully variable so you can go from standard 60hz to 165hz. So if you want to save battery power, you have a choice.
The sound is loud and clear, even at maximum volume.
It has a dual SIM card. The sim tray is double-sided. Just flip it over to get the second card. Some people are just that stupid.
Buy: REDMAGIC 7 165Hz Gaming Phone
8. Sony Xperia 1 IV
THE BEST FOR CONTENT CREATORS
There's a lot to unpack with the Sony Xperia 1IV. It has a studio-quality recording program called Music Pro to make your quick memo recordings sound more polished, and the phone's cameras are excellent. You're here to discover its gaming capabilities. Two exciting features: if you're recording your game and you forget to press the record button, the phone can capture the previous 30 seconds of gameplay you thought you missed. The other feature is the ability to live stream your game directly to YouTube from the phone. This gaming phone is being touted as a creative person's dream phone. And that may well be true.
Buy: Sony Xperia 1 IV
