Gaming on phones has been popular since the days of Snake, long before the likes of Candy Crush Saga took over our commutes. But these days smartphones are becoming viable gaming devices for more than simple distractions on the go, and mobile gaming is a giant industry in its own right.

Eventually cloud streaming will level the performance playing field, but until then committed mobile gamers need to pick up smartphones designed for the purpose. The best gaming phones deliver maxed out performance, great displays and audio, and often designs that incorporate extra trigger buttons or other gaming-specific features.

1. Asus ROG Phone 6 – Best gaming phone

There are loads of options when it comes to gaming phones these days, but the regular ROG Phone 6 is the best for most people.

It excels at the fundamentals, delivering stellar performance, a stunning display, and great battery life. With decent cameras, two USB-C ports, and even a headphone jack, there’s a lot to like here.

However, it’s not perfect, with a lack of wireless charging and poor software update commitment the most prominent problems. You’ll also need to connect a fan for long gaming sessions.

But none of these are dealbreakers for most people, and the ROG Phone 6 provides such a well-rounded experience elsewhere. If you’re serious about gaming on your phone but just want the best core experience, this is the phone to buy.

2. Red Magic 7 – Best for display quality

Nubia’s Red Magic smartphones have a reputation as having some of the best gaming-focused displays around, and that’s just as true with the latest in the collection, the Red Magic 7.

At its heart is a fast 6.8in 165Hz OLED panel with an impressive 720Hz touch sample rate that beats practically every other smartphone on the market. Though you might not notice much of a difference in real-world performance, it’ll certainly satisfy the need for gamers to have the best of the best.

That’s paired with the flagship specs including Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, up to 18GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, and an updated three-fan cooling system to keep things running smoothly during longer gaming sessions

3. Black Shark 5 Pro – Best for physical triggers

Black Shark 5 Pro might not redesign the wheel, but it ticks all the boxes for gamers: it has a buttery smooth 144Hz refresh rate, top-level performance, gaming-specific features like magnetic triggers and gesture-activated shortcuts plus much more.

The 120W charging, while unchanged, provides some of the snappiest charging times around achieving a full 100% charge in under 30 minutes, though the downside is a smaller battery than alternatives.

Unlike the touch-based triggers of some rivals, the Black Shark 5 Pro has magnetic triggers that pop up from the body of the phone for a more traditional controller experience, making for a great portable gaming experience without the need to carry additional accessories.

4. Asus ROG Phone 6 Pro – Best ultra flagship

The Asus ROG Phone 6 Pro is arguably the ultimate gaming phone – but you’ll have to pay for it.

Performance is the priority here, so the phone is powered by the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chip – the most powerful around.

Specs elsewhere are supreme too, with a 165Hz AMOLED screen, 6000mAh battery, and up to 18GB of RAM.

It also features a unique PMOLED screen on the rear of the phone, used to indicate incoming calls, notifications, and charge state, and like all the ROG Phones it ships with a range of optional extra accessories.

5. Poco F4 GT – Gaming phone that doesn’t look like one

The Poco F4 GT is an attempt to build a gaming phone that could be just as appealing to non-gamers.

The F4 GT packs the hardcore hardware you’d expect: a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset, 120Hz AMOLED display, and up to 12GB of RAM – not to mention almost absurdly fast 120W charging. It even includes pop-up magnetic shoulder buttons similar to those found in the Black Shark 5 Pro.

6. Red Magic 7S Pro – Most responsive display

The Red Magic 7S Pro is an unusual phone. It’s a small upgrade on the 7 Pro – chiefly to include the newer Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chip – but it’s also not a clear upgrade on the regular Red Magic 7 in every respect, and in fact we’d recommend that phone to most people (the non-Pro 7S never got a global launch).

The changes here are mostly in the display. The first is that the 7S Pro comes with the most responsive display in any phone right, registering touch input at 960Hz – i.e. it can detect touches 960 times a second. That’s literally a game-changer, but it brings a drawback: the screen refresh rate is ‘only’ 120Hz, down from the 165Hz of the regular 7.

7. Motorola Edge 30 Ultra – Best Android flagship for gaming

Though the Motorola Edge 30 Ultra doesn’t look like much of a gaming phone, the flagship has a surprise or two up its sleeves.

It’s powered by Qualcomm’s top-tier Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 with 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 256GB of storage, making it an impressive device able to take on dedicated gaming phones. There’s also the 6.7in AMOLED display to consider, with a gaming-grade 144Hz refresh rate – pretty much the only non-gaming phone to go that fast.

8. iPhone 13 Pro Max – Best iPhone for gaming

When it comes to gaming on iOS, the 6.7in iPhone 13 Pro Max is the one to beat (well, except for the 14 Pro Max – which might take this spot once we’ve finished reviewing it!). Apple’s 5nm A15 Bionic is one of the most powerful chipsets on the market right now and can handle just about anything you can throw at it without a hint of stutter or lag – and our benchmarks back that up too.

Importantly, the iPhone 13 Pro Max sports a gorgeous Super Retina XDR display that makes games look incredible on the iPhone, whether they’re free-to-play titles or the latest Apple Arcade exclusives.

9. Asus ROG Phone 6D Ultimate – Best when money is no object

If you thought the ROG Phone 6 Pro was premium, the 6D Ultimate is on another level.

This version switches to a MediaTek Dimensity 9000+ chipset, and with that bumps the price up another notch.

Battery life is a bit better too, but the only other real change is the introduction of the ‘AeroActive Portal’: a small cooling flap that opens up when the official cooling accessory is attached, theoretically improving airflow.

10. Red Magic 6R – Most affordable gaming phone

The Red Magic 6R is one of the cheapest gaming-dedicated smartphones on the market right now, and is a little older too, but that doesn’t mean it skimps on features or performance.

Sporting a 6.67.in AMOLED display slightly smaller than that of the flagship Red Magic 6, you’ll find the same 1080 x 2400 resolution and 400Hz touch sampling rate. The 144Hz refresh rate may be slightly slower, but it’s still safely in gamer territory and the difference is negligible in real-world use.

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