With so many gaming phones on the market, we can’t decide which one to buy. In this article, we discuss the best of the ten 10 gaming phones in 2022.
Top 10 gaming phone
Since we all first booted up our Nokia 3310s for hours on Snake, before our iPhones got jammed with hours of Candy Crush Saga, gaming on phones has been a thing.
On the other hand, in addition to home consoles, smartphones are gradually becoming viable gaming devices, and these are the finest ones you can purchase.
Such is the capability of today’s devices. Fortnite and Call of Duty Mobile may credit their mobile platforms and mobility speedy success. And it’s no surprise, given the power packed into the greatest cellphones on the market.
Asus ROG Phone 5 – Overall Winner
The Asus ROG Phone 5 is, without a doubt, the best gaming phone. It may not appeal to a broad audience due to its weighty, game-like design, but that is not the purpose here.
The focus is on gaming, and Asus has taken it to the next level with a 144Hz AMOLED screen, two 3,000mAh batteries, the top-tier Snapdragon 888, and up to 16GB of RAM.
It can handle almost any game available on Android right now, with enough power left over to keep the phone running for an extended period – all at a lower price than big-name flagships.
Haptic triggers embedded right into the side of the ROG Phone 5 improve the gaming experience even further.
In that case, the variety of official attachments, such as the Nintendo Switch-Esque Kunai 5 controllers and the fan-powered AeroActive Cooler 5 cooling system, should be just up your alley.
The Red Magic 6S has the best gaming phone display.
Featuring the Red Magic 6, Nubia has once again produced an exceptional gaming phone, with a quick 6.8in 165Hz OLED display and 400Hz touch sample rate that outperforms even Asus’ premium ROG Phone 5.
Though you won’t notice much difference in real-world performance, it will surely fulfill gamers’ need for the finest of the best.
This is combined with the top-tier Snapdragon 888+ processor, 12- or 16GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage, as well as a built-in fan system to keep things cool during extended gaming sessions.
There are also side-mounted shoulder triggers, enhanced haptic feedback, and the ability to adjust performance on a per-game basis, all of which are displayed in Red Magic’s ‘Game Space’ mode.
Other aspects of the custom Android skin, on the other hand, are more difficult to acclimate to and may become unpleasant with time, mainly because you can’t change the launcher.
The ZTE Axon 30 Ultra
Though the ZTE Axon 30 Ultra doesn’t seem to be a gaming phone – in fact, at 8mm thick and 188g, it’s light in comparison to the ROG Phone 5, for example – the slimline flagship has a surprise or two up its sleeve.
It’s powered by Qualcomm’s top-tier Snapdragon 888 processor, with either 8GB or 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM and up to 256GB of storage, and it can compete in our benchmarks with specialist gaming phones like the Red Magic 6.
There’s also a 6.67 AMOLED display with a buttery-smooth 144Hz refresh rate and a 300Hz touch sampling rate for a snappy gaming experience.
Aside from gaming skills, it includes all the bells and whistles you’d expect, such as 65W fast charging and a quad-camera array made of three 64Mp cameras and a telescopic lens.
Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max
When it comes to iOS gaming, the 6.7in iPhone 13 Pro Max is unrivaled. Apple’s 5nm A15 Bionic chipset is one of the most powerful on the market right now, and it can handle almost everything you throw at it without stuttering or lag.
Notably, the iPhone 13 Pro Max has a stunning Super Retina XDR display, making games on the iPhone appear fantastic, whether they’re free-to-play or the newest Apple Arcade exclusives.
It’s also one of the first iPhones to use a variable 120Hz refresh rate, providing the buttery-smooth refresh rate – and enhanced reaction time – that makes Android competitors so powerful.
Galaxy S21 Ultra (Samsung)
Samsung’s premium Galaxy S21 Ultra is an incredible flagship as well as one of the most well-rounded – and pricey – phones on the market right now, making it an excellent gaming phone as well.
You get a 20:9 6.8 display for seamless gaming with WQHD+ resolution, HDR10+ graphics, and an adaptive 120Hz refresh rate.
With the ultra-powerful Exynos 2100 processor, performance is excellent, making it a perfect choice for enjoying movies and gaming.
There’s also 5G onboard, and 25W rapid charging means you can recharge 56 percent of the phone’s 5,000mAh battery in half an hour.
While most gaming phones are purely focused on gaming, the Samsung S21 Ultra is an excellent all-arounder.
6R Red Magic
The Red Magic 6R is one of the most affordable gaming smartphones on the market right now, but that doesn’t mean it’s lacking in features or performance.
The Red Magic 6 has a 6.67-inch AMOLED display, significantly smaller than the flagship Red Magic 6. It has the exact 1080 x 2400 resolution and 400Hz touch sampling rate.
The 144Hz refresh rate is somewhat slower, but it’s still in gamer territory, and the difference is insignificant in real-world usage.
Under the display lies the powerful Snapdragon 888, which comes with 6GB, 8GB, or 12GB of RAM, depending on the model.
In terms of performance, it can compete with top gaming phones, but the absence of an active fan cooling mechanism means it gets heated much faster than pricier options.
The Poco X3 Pro
Xiaomi’s Poco X3 Pro isn’t a specialized gaming phone, but it builds on the success of the popular Poco X3 NFC to give a rapid performance at a low price.
The Snapdragon 860 is the main highlight, an incredible effort given the X3 Pro’s low price. This is paired with 6- or 8GB of RAM and up to 256GB of storage, and the 6.67in LCD has a 120Hz refresh rate and a 240Hz touch response rate.
The massive 5160mAh battery is more than enough to power you through a few intensive gaming sessions, and although the 33W wired charging isn’t the fastest available, it’s still relatively fast.
Qiao 3 5G by Vivo
The Vivo Iqoo 3 is one of the best 5G gaming phones, with exceptional speed, performance, and battery life. The pricing makes it much more appealing.
Though it isn’t available in the UK directly, you can get it for roughly £600 or less via stores like Banggood or eBay, and non-5G models are much cheaper.
The phone has pressure-sensitive gaming buttons on the side, as well as an Ultra Gaming Mode that allows you to tailor your gaming experience.
While gaming, you can activate 4D game vibration, customize air triggers, and block calls – the list goes on.
Find X3 Pro by Oppo
The Oppo Find X3 Pro is a great phone that manages to outperform 2020’s incredibly excellent X2 Pro. The 6.7in, 10-bit, 120Hz, QHD+ display is without a doubt the greatest in any phone right now, ideal for mobile gaming, and Oppo backs it up with the quickest wired charging available at 65W to get you back in the game faster.
Though it lacks the gamer look of other alternatives, the mirror-like gloss and curved glass camera housing will grab the eye, and at 193g, it’s also relatively lightweight compared to the competition.