The top powerful gaming phones for 2023.

Gaming phones

Our selection of the top gaming phones in 2022, no matter if you’re thinking of Android or Apple either budget or premium

  • The top gaming phones provide more than just the best thumb tappers. They can also pack massive power, including powerful processors and GPUs, tons of RAM, and high refresh rates. There are a lot of gaming-related products on the market today too, which means that there’s plenty to Play Store power users to take a look at in the present. In addition, thanks to the growth of Microsoft’s Cloud Gaming solutions, smaller screens are becoming even more important to businesses.
Gaming phones
  • There are numerous models on the market which claim to be the most powerful gaming phones available. It’s difficult to figure out what you want from your phone, and what you’ll have to spend for a gaming-specific device. Fortunately, as gaming phones become more popular they are seeing prices for the most powerful and expensive models falling only a bit. This means that there are now an array of options to suit all budgets We’ve rounded up our top picks right here.
  • Our expert team is available to help you identify the top gaming phones available as well as the most affordable prices. We’ve based our recommendations on our personal experiences with the most recent and most advanced models to make sure that you have a complete overview of all the options prior to making that crucial choice. Of obviously, you’re not going to be able to experience the speed of the best Gaming laptop or even the top gaming tablets here, but for a small-sized thumb twitcher, These are the top models we’d suggest.

The most powerful gaming phones on the market right now.

What can you trust about GamesRadar+ Our experienced reviewers’ test and compare various products and services to help you choose the best option for you.

Black Shark 5 Pro

The top gaming phone in general

Specifications

  • Size of screen: 6.67-inch OLED
  • Resolution;1080p
  • Processor; Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1
  • Cameras: 12MP Ultra-Wide, 108MP Wide 5MP macro (rear) 16MP Wide (front)
  • Storage: 256GB or 512GB
  • Water resistance; ip67
  • Dimensions (HxWxD): 16.3 x 76.5 x 9.5mmWeight 220g

Reasons to Buy

Extreme performance + Gorgeous OLED panel+ A decent camera system + Physical triggers

The reasons to stay clear of

Only minor battery upgrades, and no audio jack. No wireless charging.

  • The balance between the top spot and the top gaming phones is a complex business. This phone has to be among the most efficient models available on the marketplace, but it should be accessible. The cost-to-performance value of Black Shark 5 Pro is outstanding. It’s not a cheap phone however, there’s not much sense of exorbitant costs in this case. In addition, in order for a phone to be considered to be the best gaming phone, it must function as effectively as a phone and play as a gaming machine. This is where the camera of the Black Shark 5 Pro comes in.
  • It’s uncommon to find a gaming phone that has high-end specifications and performance, while also having a decent set of lenses at its corners. We were awestruck by the photos we could take with this phone. You are indeed making some phone sacrifices with the absence of wireless charging being one of the largest ones – but this is still a daily device that has a battery that will power it.
  • Take a look at some games but you’ll feel how the Black Shark 5 Pro shine. The graphics are smooth and clear on that stunning OLED display, and it comes with trigger buttons that pop up to ensure that your movements are quick and precise. Very few phones have these physical buttons these days preferring the more tactile buttons on the top. But, we were happy with these tiny improvements, creating an even more enjoyable experience all around.
  • In addition, you get the design and feel that bring this Black Shark line more into the mainstream phone market and you’ll have a hidden tool in your bag. It’s a dream of a smartphone that doesn’t go over the charts of price.

Asus ROG Phone 6

The most premium gaming phone

Specifications

  • The screen size is 6.78″
  • Resolution: AMOLED 1080 x 2448
  • Processor: Qualcomm Samsung Snapdragon 8+Gen 1
  • Cameras: 50MP wide 13MP ultrawide – 5MP macro 12MP front
  • Storage: 128GB /256GB
  • water resistance: IP67
  • Dimensions (HxWxD): 173 x 7.7 10 10.3
  • millimeterWeight: 8.43oz (239g)

Reasons to Buy

best for all types of games

The reasons to stay clear of

-Weaker 2448 x 1080 resolution

  • It’s the Asus ROG Phone 6 is an absolute beast that packs an impressively fast processor inside an ultra-compact chassis that packs outstanding additional features and amazing cooling technology. Both the white and black shades have a narrow screen on the back, that features all of the angles and forms you would expect from a gaming phone. The design of the phone is a sign that it’s a gaming phone that is designed for hardcore thumb tappers and not for the general smartphone market.
  • If you are in this category, you’ll be delighted by the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 CPU that is whirring around under the hood and the chance to max this beast with 16GB of RAM. It also has a 165Hz refresh rate on the 6.78-inch AMOLED screen, but there’s a slight drop in terms of a 2448 x 1080 resolution that feels somewhat outdated when you look at the market.
  • The camera with 50MP is designed to perform when other gaming phones tend to not. The images are crisp and vibrant and night mode is able to stand up quite well when compared to similarly priced devices of the same price.
  • The latest technology certainly isn’t cheap. It’s no wonder that the Asus ROG Phone is one of the most expensive gaming phones listed on this list. However, if you’re planning to buy a durable phone that has some of the most impressive gaming capabilities available You should think about this model.

Nubia RedMagic 7 Pro

The most affordable gaming phone

Specifications

  • The screen size is 6.8″ AMOLED 120Hz
  • Resolution: 1080×2400
  • Processor: Snapdragon 8 Gen 1
  • Cameras main: 64MP 8MP ultrawide 2MP macro 16MP front
  • Storage: 128/256
  • water resistance: IP 67
  • Dimensions: 166.3 x 77.1 10.9 mm
  • Weight: 8.29 OZ (235g)

Reasons to Buy

With sophisticated cooling technology and efficient power consumption, this is a gaming-oriented software, a solid design and striking rapid charging

Reasons to avoid

The fact that cameras can’t compete with software can be difficult to use

  • It’s Nubia RedMagic 7 Pro is an absolute monster of gaming phones. You’ll get some extremely powerful components with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor, up to 18GB of RAM, and 120Hz AMOLED displays – that combine to provide the ultimate gaming experience on mobile devices unlike any other.

The pure power that is built into this beast is guaranteed to smash through whatever you put it through.RedMagic 7 Pro Review

  • It has a high 960Hz multi-finger sampling rate, which keeps your movements on screen clean and precise, as well as an array of shoulder buttons positioned on top of the device The inputs were fast and comfortable. Although these buttons have a touch interface, instead of relying on mechanical clickers. They swiftly combined into muscle memory. Add RedMagic’s Red Core 1 chip to take away non-essential processing tasks to the Snapdragon chipset and the 20,000 RPM fan to keep the entire system cool. We discovered that 7 Pro is incredibly powerful on paper, but it is able to squeeze every amount of juice from its components too.
  • Although we were a bit annoyed by certain menu navigations as well as the usual software bugs that remain in the device we tested and it was still a solid device. 7 Pro still managed to stand up to the demands of an ordinary smartphone, with its gaming abilities. It’s true that the cameras won’t be able to compete with the quality of the Samsung Galaxy range or the iPhone 13 Pro, but with a fast-charging speed of 120W (outside of the US 65W for North America and Canada) and long battery life, there’s plenty to do.

The Nubia RedMagic 7 Pro is the top gaming phone for gamers seeking the most powerful phone available.

Apple iPhone 13 Pro

The top Apple gaming phone

Specifications

  • Screen Size: 6.1″ Super Retina OLED
  • Resolution: 1170x 2532
  • Processor: A15 Bionic
  • Cameras: 12MP ultra-wide 12-MP wide – 12MP front
  • Storage 12MP 128GB, 256GB, 1TB
  • Water resistance: IP68 (up to 2 meters)
  • Dimensions (HxWxD): 146.7 71.5 x 7.7 mm 71.5 7.7 mm 7.7
  • millimeterWeight: 7.2oz (204g)

Reasons to Buy

+120Hz refresh rate+Powerful processor upgrade+Groundbreaking camera features

The reasons to stay clear of

-Still pricey

  • The iPhone has been unable to be acknowledged by the industry as being one of the top gaming phones over the course of its existence however there’s no reason why it won’t step into the game by integrating Apple Arcade and its own gaming network, Game Center. It’s iPhone 13 Pro is the first major step towards integrating this gaming-focused focus into the hardware of Apple’s smartphones, however.

An ultra-high refresh rate of 120Hz, faster processor, and an improved battery are just a few of the signs that Apple becoming aware of the gaming capabilities of its phonesApple iPhone 13 Pro review

  • A 120Hz, variable-refresh rate (sorry ProMotion’s display assists in making certain Apple Arcade outstanding games shine and also bigger standalone games such as Elder Scrolls Blade, Minecraft, or Call of Duty Mobile. Its A15 Bionic processor did not sway under the strain of applications that made the iPhone 12 cry (Duolingo, for example, for some reason) The temperature was maintained throughout the longest gaming sessions.
  • The OLED panel offers an amazing overall experience that keeps games like Magic The Gathering: Arena appearing as clear as ever, and also displays streaming apps such as Netflix effortlessly.
  • In spite of all the systems we used, we were amazed by the battery’s life. In actuality, it was quite good in light use over a weekend (about an hour on Google maps, a couple of minutes of off-screen Spotify or occasionally Safari search, and a few or so YouTube videos, a couple of locations services turned on, however, not connecting the 4G network) we didn’t need to recharge for a single moment.
  • One of the most notable improvements here is the fantastic video functions. The camera system, along with the software performs remarkable focus-pulling features and can record in Dolby Vision in 4K at 60 frames per second. The results are very satisfying, which makes the iPhone 13 Pro well worth the cost of the camera system on its own for those who are content creators.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3

The top Samsung gaming phone

Specifications

  • Size of screen: 6.2″ OLED AMOLED
  • Resolution: 2268 x 832 external / 2208×1768
  • internal processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 888
  • Cameras: 12 mp ultrawide 12-mp telephoto, four-mp front (under display) 10 mp for the front (front cover)
  • Storage: 128GB and 512 GB.
  • Water resistance: IPX8 (up to 1.5 meters)
  • Dimensions: 158.2 x 67.1 x 16.0mm (folded) (folded) or 158.2 (folded) x 128.1 * 6.4mm (unfolded)
  • Weight: 9.55 oz (271g)

The reasons to buy

+ The tablet/phone hybrid that we’ve been wanting for a long time+Multitasking application Support is great. Feels like a higher-end product in general. 120Hz refresh rate on all screens.

The reasons to stay clear of

Some apps can be glitchy in Flex mode. Under the display, the camera isn’t the best

  • It’s the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 is finally achieving what the folding phone movement was aiming to accomplish all those years ago. It’s the first phone to actually meet the promise of a smartphone’s form factor and tablet capabilities with a stunning set of specs in the back and some amazing UI improvements on top.
  • The horizontal folding mechanism gives you a 7.6-inch display when it’s fully open We found it to be excellent for multi-tasking (especially when paired with split-view) and gaming. From surfing the internet as you check your email to incorporating an additional screen for quick Spotify features, Samsung has moved beyond offering a bigger phone screen and has stepped into the realm of tablet-based productivity machines.
  • If you’re looking for gaming, the amazing technology displayed certainly does not disappoint also. We didn’t encounter any issues with heat while playing more intense games like Call of Duty Mobile, and the 120Hz refresh rate for every screen ensured that we could really push the games to maximum performance. We did encounter a minor issue with a few older side-scrolling titles, losing control when we crossed the fold in the middle between the screens. The only game we tried which produced this issue problem, however.
  • We also heard some amazing action from those Dolby speakers. Apart from their apparent use in music and streaming apps, they did a fantastic job during our gaming tests too with a great soundstage that was packed with details.
  • When it comes to streaming is a big part of the experience, and the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 has finally introduced some innovative features to its entertainment applications. Although the ‘Flex’ feature (fold it horizontally, similar to laptops to allow playback controls on the lower portion of the screen) isn’t yet integrated into certain applications, Netflix ran beautifully while being propped up this way.
  • It was not cheap but it’s a great phone. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 is the first foldable phone to take real steps toward the future. It’s certainly the best phone to be launched this year.

Samsung Galaxy A50

The best-value Android gaming phone

Specifications

  • Size of screen: 6.4″ Super AMOLED
  • Resolution: 1080×2340
  • Processor: Octa-core
  • Cameras: 25 MP wide 8 MP ultra-wide 5 MP depth 250MP for front
  • Storage: 128GB of storage.
  • Water resistance: IP68 (up to 2 meters)
  • Dimensions: 158.5mm x 74.7mm 7.7mm 7.7mm
  • Weight: 5.86 oz (166g)

Reasons to Buy

Display that is nearly full-screen and has the highest settings. It’s also the most affordable Android phone

The reasons to stay clear of

Higher game settings may draw more battery

  • If you’re looking to buy a less expensive gaming phone does not mean you must limit your choices to only match-three games or opt for an obscure brand. Samsung Galaxy A50 Samsung Galaxy A50 costs only a fraction of its flashier models such as those in the S20 as well as the Note series, however, this is still an excellent phone, and an excellent bargain if you’re looking to save money and still get a handset that isn’t going to disappoint you.
  • I tried this out for gaming against expensive phones, and I nearly needed to speak with it. I had to explain why it should stop showing its superiority to the big guys. Call of Duty Mobile on high settings for graphics and frame rate. Why is that? It’s true that it’s not as fluid or as detailed as your flagship phones of $1000 or PS1000 and at just 1/3 of the cost the A50 is far superior to what it could be.
  • For a day-to-day phone and a day-to-day phone, this Samsung Galaxy A50 has a great camera, with just the photos taken at night being susceptible to loss of clarity when there are excessive artificial lighting sources. It’s remarkable that for a phone at the price it features dual SIM slots, making it ideal for those with separate home and work SIMs or you’re picking an inexpensive data card for travel. There’s a brand new Galaxy A51 out there now that, in addition to the increase to 48MP/32MP (back/front) lens for the camera, has the same specs and display. We’d choose the A50 to get the cheapest price, however, should you be interested Here are the most recent Galaxy A51 prices(opens in a new tab).Today’s TOP SAMSUNG GALAXY A50 SAMSUNG GALAXY A50 DEALS

Which smartphones are the best for gaming?

  • Our tests have revealed that the most suitable gaming phone can be found in it’s the Samsung Z Fold 3, due to its large screen that can be expanded and the excellent features. The smartphone market has been growing and flagship phones are challenging Apple and Samsung’s market share in the last few years. There is no better example of this than in the market for gaming phones. From gaming-focused companies like Asus and Razer as well as more mainstream choices such as OnePlus and Sony, there’s always something new and exciting just in front of you.

Which gaming phone is the most affordable?

It’s the iPhone SE is the cheapest phone that we suggest for gaming. However, If you’re seeking a gaming-specific phone The cheapest option is likely to be from Xiaomi.

Are gaming phones worth the cost?

  • If you’re in the expansive and thrilling realm of gaming on the go, putting money into a gadget that is able to keep pace with your needs is always worth it. You’ll be able to enjoy a more responsive screen, greater memory and storage and a much more powerful processor, and other gaming features such as the ability to limit fps and speed modes.
  • But, if you play playing with Apple Arcade every now and every now and then, or even play the occasional PUBG game We’d suggest you get the right phone to support your mobile gaming but without the cost for other functions. The best gaming phones usually remove cameras and high-end network features, and they can cost quite a bit to start therefore it’s worth finding out whether you’ll actually play with these extra gadgets prior to making the investment.

How do we test gaming phones?

  • Every phone that enters our hands is put through a series of tests to determine if it’s enough to be listed as one of the top gaming phones available. In the first place, we use phones to test how well their design and screens, cameras, and most importantly, battery life hold up to daily usage. We adopt each device as our personal during the duration of testing, putting the phones through their paces during normal use as well as in intense gaming sessions.
  • Following that, we put every gaming phone through a set of games to evaluate their performance and the amount of battery they use. Call of Duty Mobile, PUBG, Magic The Gathering: Arena, and Fortnite (on Android) is our main titles.

continue reading PlayStation 5 review: a large, confident step towards the next generation,