Mobile gaming is more popular than ever. As game streaming becomes more viable, and with many games now offering cross-progression across consoles, PC, and mobile hardware, taking your games on the go has never been easier.
There are a ton of phones available these days that can offer excellent gaming performance, and if mobile gaming is a passion of yours, you should absolutely do as much research as possible to find which phone is best for your personal needs. But some options are clearly better for others, especially if you’re shopping within a specific price range. To help with that decision, I’ve put together a list of my three favorite choices for gaming phones. Let’s get into it.
Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro: A premium experience for hardcore mobile gamers
Most phones can play the majority of mobile games in some capacity, so you don’t necessarily need to buy a gaming-specific phone to enjoy playing. But if you want the best of the best performance, software designed specifically for gaming, and a battery that beats basically every other phone on the market, then you should take a look at the Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro. That is, of course, if you’re willing to stomach its rather high price of $1,000 for the 256GB model, with an extra $200 and $500 charge for 512GB and 1TB respectively.
The Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro’s massive 6.78-inch display can hit up to a 185hz refresh rate to ensure your games look and run the best they can. Additionally, this beastly phone comes packed with a variety of hardware and software features that help it stand out as a “gaming phone”, such as air-trigger shoulder buttons and a wide selection of settings that let you customize your gaming experience well beyond that of any other phone.
Also consider: Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
Though not technically a “gaming phone”, a large display and flagship specs make this popular flagship a great choice for daily use and gaming.
OnePlus 13: A standard flagship phone with solid gaming performance
The OnePlus 13 is one of the most versatile flagship phones around with its exceptional battery life, gorgeous OLED display, and near-stock Android software. Luckily, it’s also a wonderful choice for gaming thanks to what’s under the hood. If you’re willing to drop flagship money on this phone, you’ll be rewarded with a high-end processor, plenty of RAM, and some very impressive temperature control that makes sure you stay cool while gaming. The OnePlus 13 starts at $900.
Like the Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro, the OnePlus 13 also includes baked-in gaming-related features that allow you a lot of customization over how your games look and perform, which can make you feel like you’re using a more specialized “gaming phone” during your play sessions. Sure, it can’t quite compete with the Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro in terms of features, but it still offers an impressive set of bells and whistles for gamers that elevate this device above many others in its price range.
Also consider: iPhone 16 Pro Max
It’s hard to go wrong with any recent iPhone for killer gaming performance on a large screen, but the iPhone 16 Pro Max is your best choice as an Apple user.
Samsung Galaxy A51: An entry level device at an entry level price
The Samsung Galaxy A51 proves you don’t have to buy a flagship phone to have fun gaming. While this aging budget phone is missing a lot of the gaming-focused features that you can get with more expensive devices, it’s still capable of keeping up with most modern mobile games even when pushing for high settings with decent framerates.
The Samsung Galaxy A51’s 6.5-inch screen serves up a nice 1080p picture, but it won’t exactly blow you away with incredible picture quality. Even so, it’s more than enough for the average gamer who isn’t counting pixels. Plus, it’s bright enough to play outdoors or in other well-lit environments. However, the battery isn’t going to hold up to extensive unplugged gaming sessions, so keep a charger on hand if you go with this budget offering. You can snag a Samsung Galaxy A51 for $450.
Also consider: OnePlus 13R
This mid-range device offers shockingly excellent gaming performance without sacrificing too many of its older brother’s flagship features, but it’ll cost a good chunk more than the Galaxy A51 as a result.
The best gaming phone for you will come down to your own personal needs, but hopefully, this list gives you a few options to consider. Whatever you decide to go with, happy gaming!
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