The very best gaming telephone 2024 — I examined all of them to crown a winner
December 4: Now that 2024’s coming to an finish, we’re noting telephones on this listing that could be getting an improve early within the 12 months. Be sure you know before you purchase!
Selecting the perfect gaming telephones from all of the telephones on sale at this time will be tough, however luckily I and the remainder of the TG workforce have the expertise crucial that can assist you out.
We check all the most recent telephones throughout all completely different efficiency areas, together with ones vital for gaming like processing energy, show high quality and battery life. And by these numbers, we’re assured recommending the Asus ROG Cellphone 9 Professional, or the iPhone 16 Professional Max when you want Apple-made telephones, as the highest obtainable decisions.
Which one is best for you goes to depend upon how devoted you’re to your video games, for the reason that iPhone prioritizes much more than simply its gaming credentials. However in fact there are additionally different telephones price contemplating in case you are in search of one thing cheaper, or with particular options like a cooling fan or a foldable display screen.
I will clarify extra under about what makes these telephones uniquely suited to high-performance video games, plus check outcomes to again all of it up. So let’s take a look at the perfect gaming telephones proper now so you will get into the motion ASAP.
The short listing
By adopting the most recent chipset, an excellent smoother show, helpful gaming options and enhancing on its predecessor’s epic battery life, the ROG Cellphone 9 Professional is the plain selection for anybody wanting a telephone primarily for gaming.
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The last word gaming iPhone proper now’s the iPhone 16 Professional Max. With the most important show on an iPhone but, Apple’s finest chip and glorious battery life, it is received all you want for an excellent time gaming. Plus its cameras beat every little thing else on this listing with barely an effort.
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OnePlus’ cheaper flagship telephone provides you an older chip, however in return for a competiton-beating value, a shocking display screen, speedy charging and legendary battery life. Simply be careful for pricing in Europe, the place the most cost effective version is not bought.
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You may’t get significantly better cooling for a telephone than having a fan built-in, and that is been RedMagic’s factor for some time now. Don’t fret, you continue to get the show you need for the value, and loads of efficiency too, particularly when you choose up the 9S model.
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5. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6
If you’d like a foldable telephone to point out off your cellular video games on as massive a display screen as potential, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 balances that brilliantly with its super-powerful chipset. Its improved design, sturdiness and AI options make it a fantastic all-round selection too.
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Richard Priday
I am fortunate sufficient to check out all the most recent smartphones, and naturally a part of my testing entails taking part in video games on them. I’ve reviewed roughly a telephone per thirty days since becoming a member of TG in 2018, and tried lots extra on high of that. I’ve seen how cellular gaming has rapidly developed to rival console-level experiences in that point, and the telephones I’ve placed on this listing will be sure you aren’t left behind as this a part of the gaming world continues to alter.
The very best gaming telephone general
As soon as once more Asus is displaying the remainder of the telephone world simply methods to make a gaming telephone with the ROG Cellphone 9 Professional. I wasn’t as stunned by it as I used to be by the ROG Cellphone 8 Professional, which lends lots of its options to the newer mannequin, however that does not detract from how good this telephone is.
The headline characteristic of the ROG Cellphone 9 Professional is its longevity on a cost. It is received the perfect telephone battery life we have examined to this point, main the pack by a number of hours. Nevertheless it additionally excels with its Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, which offered the perfect gaming expertise of any telephone I attempted in 2024.
The 185Hz show can also be a class-leading characteristic, however it’s worthwhile to discover appropriate video games to make use of it. In any other case, the returning AirTrigger controls, Armory Crate and AniMe lights all assist improve gaming. You may even play easy video games utilizing these lights, in case the AAA-grade video games you may play on the telephone’s precise display screen aren’t sufficient for you.
For weaknesses, I’d level to the dull-looking images that the ROG Cellphone produces, and the truth that you get solely two years of full Android updates. There are better-rounded telephones on sale in fact, however for pure gaming skill, Asus has you lined with the ROG Cellphone 9 Professional.
Learn our full Asus ROG Cellphone 9 Professional evaluation.
Finest gaming iPhone
Apple would not concentrate on gaming in the best way a few of the different corporations on this listing do, however that is nonetheless a fantastic telephone to play video games on. It is the telephone I presently play on probably the most, due partly to its different qualities, however with the may of its A18 Professional chip and newly-enlarged 6.9-inch show, there’s not way more I might ask for.
Between rounds and races, there’s so much I can recognize in regards to the iPhone 16 Professional Max, like its robust battery life, and the slowly-developing Apple Intelligence suite of AI options. The actual spotlight is images although, with the brand new Digicam Management serving to me rapidly alter and take pictures, the Photographic Kinds aiding to find the fitting search for every picture, and the superior talents like Audio Combine or 4K slo-mo for video.
That is one other costly telephone to make sure, and the big flat-sided design makes it a little bit arduous to deal with. Plus charging’s fairly sluggish in comparison with the competitors, which might be a difficulty when you run the telephone right down to 0% battery and want a fast refill. However the iPhone 16 Professional Max remains to be a telephone I might suggest to virtually anybody who has sufficient cash to spend, be you gamer or not.
Learn our full iPhone 16 Professional Max evaluation.
Finest worth gaming telephone
I might have most well-liked to have a a less expensive telephone as our greatest gaming telephone worth choose. However imagine me that the OnePlus 12R is price your cash, and presents solely minimally much less gaming energy than the opposite telephones on this listing that value as much as twice as a lot. The most cost effective $499 mannequin is not obtainable to U.Okay. readers, however the $599/£649 mannequin with extra RAM and storage remains to be a well-priced choose.
I used to be so blissful when OnePlus introduced it was bringing its first R-series gadget to the worldwide market, as these barely modified flagship telephones do a fantastic job of balancing cutting-edge tech with the telephone’s whole value. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip inside is shut to 2 years outdated at this level, nevertheless it’s nonetheless capable of ship clean and exquisite gameplay, depicted intimately by the big and clean show. I barely seen a distinction between taking part in on the OnePlus 12R and on telephones with newer chips inside, so hopefully you will not both. Simply remember that the software program replace window for this telephone is kind of brief at 3 years full/5 years safety, so you will not get as many new options to obtain over time as different gadgets on this information.
Maybe the most important purpose I can suggest this telephone is its battery life. It is the second-longest-lasting telephone the TG lab’s ever examined (no.1’s the ROG Cellphone 8 Professional from earlier on this listing) and a telephone you may simply go away for a few days with out charging when you’re cautious along with your utilization ranges. So if the size of your gaming periods issues extra to you than the general high quality, and your finances’s on the tight aspect, the OnePlus 12R is perhaps the telephone you may need to recreation on.
The OnePlus 13 is due for a worldwide launch in early 2025, and hopefully it will carry one other R mannequin with it. Hopefully the brand new model brings extra energy and extra battery life, so it might be price holding off on shopping for the 12R except you discover a whole lot.
Learn our full OnePlus 12R evaluation.
Finest gaming telephone cooling tech
RedMagic is probably not a reputation you are accustomed to, nevertheless it’s nonetheless the primary model I might suggest for anybody wanting a fantastic telephone that basically focuses on gaming with out breaking the financial institution.
With its aspect triggers and gaming software program, the RedMagic 9 Professional covers your primary wants effectively, however the place it goes above and past is with its built-in RGB cooling fan that permits robotically if you open a recreation, or manually as you want. I’ve had nice whipping out the RedMagic to start out up the brightly-glowing fan in public — it reveals you actually imply enterprise with regards to gaming.
Battery life is robust on this telephone too, and it is backed up with a speedy 65W charger. Plus its chip is identical as you may discover within the list-topping ROG Cellphone 8 Professional, so you will not be wanting for processing energy. The place it does lack nevertheless is images, with its two disappointing rear cameras and fuzzy-looking selfie pictures from its under-display entrance digicam. My largest pet peeve with this telephone is its software program. It’s totally poorly translated in locations, and has been for a number of generations, so at this level I’ve given up on RedMagic ever enhancing it.
When you can handly some clunkily-worded settings and fewer than stellar cameras, then I’ve no qualms in recommending the RedMagic 9 Professional to you, or the upgraded however barely dearer RedMagic 9S Professional. It is maybe the purest distillation of a gaming telephone on this listing, for higher and for worse, which is why I am making it hang around right here fairly than increased up the listing.
Learn our full RedMagic 9 Professional evaluation.
Finest foldable gaming telephone
I can not personally suggest gaming on a foldable telephone. The outer show’s often a little bit too small for my liking, and since the interior screens are a lot squarer than the standard 16:9 side ratio that cellular video games are designed for, you find yourself with a bizarre view of the battlefield. Nonetheless, if you’d like a foldable telephone for gaming, I nonetheless suppose the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 is your best choice.
The principle purpose for that is its chipset. With the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy on the within, you get noticeably higher in-game efficiency than every other foldable you should buy proper now. As our International EIC Mark Spoonauer wrote in our evaluation: “Even with a ton of enemies on display screen the motion stayed regular as I unleashed my blades and particular assaults on bosses, wolves and spiders.” And having performed Grid: Autosport and Genshin Influence on the Z Fold 6 myself, I can vouch for that.
Sadly for avid gamers wanting a foldable, these are nonetheless a few of the most costly telephones you should buy proper now, with the Galaxy Z Fold 6 beginning at $1,900, much more than the rest on this listing. It is also received a smaller battery, and subsequently a weaker battery life, than the opposite gadgets we suggest too, for the reason that folding mechanism takes up area you’d in any other case stuff with battery capability. I used to be disenchanted with how rapidly the Z Fold 6 wanted refuelling between play periods, even when you stick with the smaller outer show.
However to boil all this down, there is no higher option to get probably the most expansive gaming expertise potential in your pocket than the Galaxy Z Fold 6. You are simply going to have to just accept some limitations different telephones do not have as a way to get pleasure from that large versatile display screen.
Learn our full Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 evaluation.
Finest gaming telephone: Different telephones we examined
Not each telephone could make it onto our shortlist, however there are many different telephones to choose from when you’re prioritising gaming efficiency.
How to decide on the perfect gaming telephone for you
When choosing out your gaming telephone of selection, the very first thing to search for is the chipset. All of the telephones on this listing both use up-to-date Snapdragon 8 collection chips or the Professional model of Apple’s newest A-series chip, which ensures best-in-class efficiency, the optimum start line for gaming on a telephone.
The following level in your listing needs to be show high quality. You may classify that in various methods, like general measurement, decision, refresh charge, colour high quality and accuracy. There is no one final telephone for this, so evaluate the specs and our check outcomes (see under) to see which meets your wants the perfect.
After that, it is time to consider extra options you might have considered trying. That might embody additional gaming-focused ones like capacitive triggers or cooling techniques, an extended battery life for the longest-possible play periods between prices, or extra basic ones like glorious cameras or good AI options. Going all-in on gaming might imply sacrificing different elements of the essential smartphone expertise, so select correctly and take into account every little thing you employ your telephone for earlier than you find yourself limiting your self.
How we check gaming telephones
To ensure that a smartphone to make any of our greatest telephone lists — gaming telephone or in any other case — it must excel on a number of assessments that we run on each handset. We carry out a few of these assessments in our labs and a few in the true world.
Relating to efficiency, we depend on such artificial benchmarks as Geekbench 6 and 3DMark to measure graphics efficiency. These assessments enable us to match efficiency throughout iPhones and Android gadgets. We additionally run a real-world video transcoding check on every telephone utilizing the Adobe Premiere Rush app and time the end result.
| Row 0 – Cell 0 | Geekbench 6 (single-core / multi-core rating) | Wild Life Excessive Limitless (rating / fps) |
| Asus ROG Cellphone 8 Professional (X Mode enabled) | 2,249 / 7,079 | 5,196 / 31.1 |
| iPhone 16 Professional Max | 3386 / 8,306 | 3,822 / 22.9 |
| OnePlus 12R | 1,553 / 5,135 | 3693 / 22.11 |
| RedMagic 9 Professional | N/a | N/a |
| Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 | 2,172 / 6,901 | 3,862 / 23.03 |
To measure the standard of a telephone’s show, we carry out lab assessments to find out the brightness of the panel (in nits), in addition to how colourful every display screen is (DCI-P3 colour gamut). In these circumstances, increased numbers are higher. We additionally measure colour accuracy of every panel with a Delta-E ranking, the place decrease numbers are higher and rating of 0 is ideal.
| Row 0 – Cell 0 | Peak brightness (nits) | DCI-P3 colour gamut protection (p.c) | Delta-E colour accuracy rating (decrease is healthier) |
| Asus ROG Cellphone 8 Professional | 1,637 | 112.4 | 0.31 |
| iPhone 16 Professional Max | 1,553 | 80.9 | 0.26 |
| OnePlus 12R | 1,133 | 113.8 | 0.39 |
| RedMagic 9 Professional | N/a | N/a | N/a |
| Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 (interior display screen) | 1,411 | 96.9 | 0.24 |
Some of the vital assessments we run is the Tom’s Information battery check. We run an online browsing check over 5G or 4G at 150 nits of display screen brightness till the battery provides out. Typically, a telephone that lasts 10 hours or extra is nice, and something above 11 hours makes our listing of the perfect telephone battery life.
| Row 0 – Cell 0 | 100 – 0% time on TG battery check (hours:minutes) |
| Asus ROG Cellphone 8 Professional | 18:48 |
| iPhone 16 Professional Max | 17:35 |
| OnePlus 12 | 18:42 |
| RedMagic 9 Professional | N/a |
| Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 | 10:35 |
Final however not least, we take the perfect telephones out within the area to take images open air, indoors and at evening in low mild to see how they carry out versus their closest opponents. We take pictures of landscapes, meals, portraits and extra, and in addition mean you can be the choose with side-by-side comparisons in our evaluations.
Our have a look at how Tom’s Information assessments and charges smartphones has extra on the general testing course of.
Which telephone is finest for gaming?
If you’d like the perfect gaming expertise on a telephone, we might suggest the Asus ROG Cellphone 8 Professional. It is a gaming telephone by a well-known gaming model, with all of the efficiency you might ask for plus loads of settings to tweak to get issues simply how you want them.
The iPhone 16 Professional Max comes a surprisingly shut second. It is one of the {powerful} telephones available on the market proper now, and takes care of all of your non-gaming wants brilliantly.
What’s the finest gaming chipset?
The very best gaming telephones are powered by the telephone world’s high chipsets, all-in-one packages that include a CPU, GPU and extra. Proper now high chipset for cellular gaming is the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, which is present in virtually all of the Android telephones featured on this listing. Apple’s A18 Professional chip is fairly potent too although.
Is the iPhone the perfect gaming telephone?
The iPhone 16 Professional Max is presently in second place on our greatest gaming telephone information, as a result of whereas it presents super efficiency, it would not provide distinctive options like built-in triggers, customizable in-game choices. However when you aren’t excited by an Android telephone, then the most recent iPhone remains to be a worthy winner, even when it is by default!
