Best gaming phones

Are you looking for the best gaming phones to take your mobile gaming experience to the next level? Gaming phones may not be as popular as "regular" smartphones, but there are a few reliable brands in the biz that cater to this niche. ASUS has been leading the gaming smartphone space for the better part of a decade, and it doesn't seem like it has any plans on slowing down.

Gaming phones are still a niche category since nearly any Android phone today is capable of running 95% of the games on the Play Store. That remaining 5% can easily be handled by flagship phones even from a few years back. Where gaming phones differentiate themselves from normal flagships are the extra features like specialized cooling, extra programmable buttons, LED lights, and custom software features.

The best gaming phone currently is the Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro. It packs one of the most powerful Qualcomm processors, an improved 50MP camera, and a stealthy design. If you don't want a highly-specialized phone but something more generic that's easy to buy globally, we've got those options for you too below.

Harish Jonnalagadda

Harish Jonnalagadda is Android Central's Senior Editor of Asia. In his current role, he oversees the site's coverage of Chinese phone brands, networking products, and AV gear. He has been testing phones for over a decade, and has extensive experience in mobile hardware and the intricacies of the global semiconductor industry.

At a glance

Best overall

The ASUS ROG Phone 9 Pro takes our top-spot for the best gaming phone money can buy. At the heart of it is the spectacular Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite SoC which offers a noticeable boost in performance and efficiency over the 8 Gen 3 SoC. It posted strong benchmark numbers and was ready to handle pretty much any game we threw at it, without breaking a sweat.

ASUS has kept all the good stuff from the previous model intact like the 165Hz refresh rate, 3.5mm headphone jack, IP68 waterproofing, and 65W charging over USB PD. The ROG Phone 9 Pro has a larger battery this time, allowing you to game for longer on a single charge. ASUS has also upgraded the main 50MP sensor, which can capture better quality photos but it's still not on the same level as the best camera phones.

One area where we feel ASUS needs to do better is long-term software support. The ROG Phone 9 Pro will only get two Android OS upgrades till Android 17. It runs Android 15 out of the box, and ASUS has created a lean software skin with very little to no bloat.

Best runner up

The ASUS ROG Phone 8 Pro is still one of the most powerful gaming phones we've ever seen. Powering all of your games is some of the best silicon in the business, which is the mighty Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. This chip has better processing speeds and improved efficiency than the previous generation. According to the tests conducted during our review, the ROG Phone 8 Pro absolutely toppled every other Android phone in terms of performance benchmarks, including its predecessor.

Beyond the chipset, the ROG Phone 8 Pro beats its competition in the hardware specs arena by most other gaming metrics. You get up to a whopping 24GB of RAM as well as up to 1TB of internal storage, which is absolutely top tier. You'll have no trouble fitting a bunch of games on your phone at once.

Let's also not forget the customizable ultrasonic triggers built into the shoulders of the phone, the loud stereo speakers that sound phenomenal, and the dual USB-C ports found on this amazing gaming phone from ASUS. Outfitted with such beastly gear, the ROG Phone 8 Pro handles high-res graphics or fast-paced shooters with absolute ease. If you're in the market for a dedicated smartphone and have cash to spare, this ASUS phone has our vote.

Best multipurpose

Samsung doesn't explicitly market the Galaxy S26 Ultra as a gaming smartphone, as it focuses more of its marketing machine on other features like the Privacy Display, S Pen, and Galaxy AI. But the brand wouldn't be wrong to throw in a comment or two about its gaming chops. Pop the hood and you'll let out a long, impressed whistle of admiration.

The S26 Ultra excels at streaming games from Xbox Game Pass, working like a charm when pairing it with a compatible Bluetooth controller. The 120Hz refresh rate gives the screen the fluidity necessary to keep games looking smooth, while the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy inside is more than enough to handle today's latest mobile titles. Many of the new features, especially Horizon Lock and AI features like the upgraded Audio Eraser and screen automation, are truly useful.

The 6.9-inch QHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X screen is hands down one the best on the market, providing plenty of screen real estate for gaming, and Privacy Display is an amazing feat. With an IP68 water and dust-proof rating, the S26 Ultra is robust for its large size. Battery life holds up well because the 120Hz refresh is dynamic so it doesn't kick in for everything you do on the device. We were able to get a day's of use from a single charge in our review.

Best value

Nubia's RedMagic 11 Pro is the ultimate gaming phone, delivering the latest internals, powerful liquid cooling, and all the gaming extras you'd need. The phone is powered by Qualcomm's latest 3nm silicon, and it effortlessly handles demanding titles.

The design is unmistakably edgy, and you don't really mistake the device for anything else. That said, the AMOLED panel is one of the best around, and it doesn't have a visible cutout, making it that much more immersive. The 80W wired and 80W fast wireless charging is a fantastic perk that ensures you can quickly recharge your phone whenever it's running low.

There are other niceties, including a huge 7,500mAh battery that lasts over a day with ease, ultrasonic triggers, and legitimate liquid cooling that gives the device a boost in extended gaming sessions.

Best budget

The RedMagic 11 Air is now my go-to choice if you need a gaming phone. Yes, it doesn't have the latest internals, but that doesn't matter — it is still a gaming powerhouse in its own right. I used the phone for two weeks, and I didn't see a single issue while gaming.

The internals are built to last, and you get a 7,000mAh battery that lasts a day even with heavy use. The same 6.85-inch AMOLED panel as the 11 Pro is intact, and you don't get a visible cutout on this device either. While you miss out on liquid cooling, the device doesn't overheat as much, and while there is some throttling, it isn't going to be an issue in most titles.

Where the 11 Air excels is the value; coming in at just $499, this is a gaming phone that outshines the rest solely based on its affordability.

Best large screen

If you're looking for the ultimate immersive gaming experience, you need to find the largest and best smartphone display. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra is a powerful phone with up to 16GB of RAM and a powerful Snapdragon 8 Elite for Gen 5 Galaxy under the hood, delivering smooth gameplay and beastly performance overall. The main highlight of the Fold 8 Ultra is the massive 8-inch inner folding display with a 120Hz dynamic refresh rate and a nearly invisible crease.

The phone features the same 200MP main camera as the Galaxy S25 Ultra and the same 10MP telephoto and 50MP ultrawide camera as the Galaxy S26 Ultra. On the battery front, you only get a bigger 5,000mAh pack with 45W charging, with Samsung opting for an advanced silicon-carbon battery this time.

This phone will work on just about any carrier with full 5G support with Wi-Fi 7, so no matter how you’re connecting you should get plenty of speed for downloading games and playing online. When it comes to software, this phone launched with Android 17 and will receive seven years of support and updates, so you’ll be up-to-date for years to come.

Best software

Google's Tensor SoC has never been able to beat Qualcomm's best in terms of raw performance, and this trend sadly continues with the new Pixel 11 series. On the bright side, the latest Tensor G6 delivers around 17% performance boosts noticeable while gaming. The Pixel 11 Pro XL is the gaming champion of the Pixel 11 family simply because it's the one with the larger screen and battery, both of which are good to have for a long-lasting gaming session. If you fancy a smaller display, there's the Pixel 11 Pro with nearly the same specs.

Not everyone wants to play Genshin Impact at the highest possible quality, and the 11 Pro XL will reward such gamers with its superb software experience and lengthy update commitment. Like we saw with the Pixel 10 Pro XL, the 11 Pro XL also features 16GB of RAM (but only 12GB for the 256GB variant), which should keep multitasking fluid and load times lesser.

The display is crisp and vivid, although gamers who are sensitive to screen flicker won't like gaming on this phone in low light due to the medieval PWM dimming rate. On the bright side, the cameras are fantastic, battery life is solid, and the phone looks and feels great.

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How to choose

If you're upgrading to a new phone and want something that can handle gaming with ease, the ASUS ROG Phone 9 Pro is your best bet. It's packed with pretty much all of the features you'd want for gaming and daily use. The ASUS gaming phone has some of the beefiest internals available inside any Android phone right now, so you can rest assured that it is a gaming powerhouse.

Without a doubt, one of the best aspects of the ROG Phone 9 Pro after performance is its display. It uses a Samsung-made AMOLED panel that is just as vibrant and colorful as ever and it enables a sublime 165Hz refresh rate. If you wish to save a bit of money without compromising on gaming performance, the ROG Phone 8 Pro is still a good buy. ASUS will keep this around till stocks last, so you should be able to get it at a good discount.

If you need something more readily available and versatile, the Galaxy S26 Ultra is the obvious choice. It has high-end internals and an innovative Privacy Display that innovates screen technology. You still need to pay a lot more though, and the Samsung phone still lacks gamer-esque features like the ROG Phone's ultrasonic triggers, additional USB-C port, and an extra OLED on the rear. The RedMagic 11 Pro is the next best thing to the Galaxy in terms of raw performance, but availability and network support in the U.S. can be sketchy.

Don't wish to blow your entire savings on a phone? The Redmagic 11 Air is the best answer to the value-conscious gamer with its flagship SoC and modern design. The ultimate display experience goes to the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra for its impressive 8-inch AMOLED panel and excellent global availability. Last but not least, the Pixel 11 Pro XL is the best phone for casual gamers that want great software support and the best cameras bar-none in a gaming phone.