Once mocked as the home of “filthy casuals,” mobile gaming has advanced over the last few years, with games like Genshin Impact, PUBG: Mobile, and Call of Duty showing that the humble smartphone can provide just as much enjoyment as the console parked in front of the TV.
While almost all of the best smartphones can play mobile games, some are better at it than others. If you’re really serious about games, perhaps even at a competitive level, there are phones built expressly for the purpose. Our top choice is the Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro because it’s made specifically for gamers.
To experience the latest games at their full potential, you’ll need a suitable smartphone with an impressive screen and a powerful processor that can handle whatever you want to play. Once you’ve found the right phone, you’re ready to start playing some of the best Android games and best iPhone games out there.
Now we'll detail why we picked the following phones.
The best gaming phone
Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro
- Useful gaming features and software
- AniMe Vision games are fun
- Snapdragon 8 Elite chip
- Long battery life
- Fantastic audio
- Poor camera
- Only two Android version updates
- Small update over the ROG Phone 8 Pro
Why you should buy this: It’s the best gaming smartphone you can buy right now.
Who it’s for: It’s made by gamers for gamers.
Why we picked the Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro:
The ASUS ROG Phone 9 Pro actually comes in two variants: the Pro, and Pro Edition, the only difference between the two being the RAM and storage space boost plus the fact the Pro Edition includes the AeroCooler X Pro in the box. For the purposes of this roundup, we'll focus on the ROG Phone 9 Pro, which comes with a beefy 16GB of RAM, Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, and 512GB of onboard storage.
It might be heavy at 227 grams, but it packs in loads of gameplay-enhancing features, from its 3.5mm headphone jack — a rarity on smartphones nowadays — to two USB-C charging ports, tactile shoulder-mounted AirTriggers, and an IP68 dust and water resistance rating for durability. Stereo speaks tuned by Dirac provide full-rounded sound and unmatched audio capability and performance for a smartphone.
Gaming on this beast is a whole new experience from any other phone. Everything from the latest AAA mobile titles to indie puzzle games looks great on the expansive 6.78-inch AMOLED display, which packs a max refresh rate of165Hz. This can be boosted to 185Hz via Game Genie settings, but in reality you won't notice too much difference. A beefy 5,800mAh battery ensures around four and a half hours of intensive gaming, according to Acer, and you can expect around six hours of screen-on time with general use.
Speedy 65W fast charging will have you back up and running in no time, and if you're in the middle of a boss battle when your battery dies, the side-mounted USB-C port lets you keep charging as you play. To prevent overheating and maintain performance, you can switch this to bypass mode via Game Genie, so the phone is only powered, not charging while you game.
Speaking of overheating, we found that was definitely a concern in our review. Despite a improved cooling system, the phone frame got almost too hot to handle in our gaming session, with the back of the device heating up noticeable too. Though this didn't cause any operational issues, it's something worth noting if you're planning on buying this phone.
We already mentioned notable features like Game Genie, which lets you how customize how the phone works when you play games, but there are some cool AI features too, from X Capture to record your gameplay, to X Sense, which uses image recognition to auto-upgrade skills, help pick routes, and auto-fast-forward dialogue in selected games.
Gaming features aside, the ASUS ROG Phone 9 Pro runs Android 15 out of the box, with a range of AI features including Google's Circle to Search, AI Call Translation, and a few more. The camera isn't anything to write home about for serious photography enthusiasts, but that's likely not why you're buying this phone — and it takes perfectly decent shots.
Overall, the ASUS ROG Phone 9 Pro is out top pick for the best gaming smartphone out there right now — and it's the device we would buy for serious mobile gaming.
The best gaming phone from Apple
iPhone 16 Pro Max
- Beautiful display
- Powerful performance
- Camera Control is a nice addition
- Great battery life
- Improved ultrawide camera
- Varied ecosystem, reliable software
- Apple Intelligence lacks compelling reason to use
- Dull color options
- Too large for some
Why you should buy this: The iPhone 16 Pro has the most powerful chipset of any mobile device, which empowers it to run selective ports of popular titles originally made for PC and gaming consoles.
Who it’s for: Serious gamers who are also looking for the best smartphone for everyday use.
Why we picked the iPhone 16 Pro Max:
The iPhone 16 Pro Max is one of the top contenders for the title of the best phone overall. It's a powerhouse with some of the best phone cameras, it features an exceptionally color-accurate display, and it offers the dependability that comes with Apple's long support for all iPhone devices.
What makes the iPhone 16 Pro Max best suited for gaming is the chipset it houses. The A18 Pro is the first commercially available 3-nanometer mobile chip and shares a bloodline with Apple's M4 chip. Despite a slight performance cutback compared to the iPad Pro, the chip is incredibly powerful and makes the iPhone 16 Pro and the 16 Pro Max ideal for gaming.
While sharing its internal hardware with the iPhone 16 Pro, the iPhone 16 Pro Max is a better choice, thanks to its larger battery, which is complemented by 45-watt fast wired charging. The expansive 6.9-inch 120Hz display with minimal bezels also gives your fingers plenty of room to swipe across while gaming.
Apple has also been promising availability of console-bound games ported to the iPhone and iPad. Titles such as Assassin's Creed Mirage and Resident Evil Village already offer performance comparable to their console versions ,while hardware-accelerated ray tracing amps up graphics for supported games.
With iOS 18, Apple is also adding a dedicated gaming mode that prioritizes gaming performance while limiting background tasks. All of these software features combine to make the iPhone 16 Pro Max a great deal for gamers. Finally, you get Apple Intelligence, with AI-powered features tools for writing and image creation, a brand-new Siri with ChatGPT integration, and more.
The best mainstream Android gaming phone
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
- Lighter than previous models
- Anti-reflective screen looks amazing
- New wide-angle camera takes great photos
- Powerhouse processor
- Long software update commitment
- One UI 7 is the best version yet
- No Bluetooth on the S Pen
- Galaxy AI features have limited appeal
- Main camera disappoints
- Qi2 wireless charging not built in
Why you should buy this: Not only is it excellent for gaming, but it's great for everyday use, too, and it's the best S-series phone on the market.
Who it’s for: Avid mobile gamers who don't want a gaming-specific phone, just an excellent Android phone.
Why we picked the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra:
The S25 Ultra is our top recommendation for the best Android phone to buy if you want something more mainstream that's still capable of playing the latest mobile games. It's packed with amazing qualities, from it's bright, crisp 6.9-inch 120Hz display to some of the best cameras on any mobile phone. It's also a lot lighter than other phones its size, so if you don't want the bulk and weight associated with a gaming phone like the ROG Phone 9 Pro, this is the device to get.
Under the hood, the S25 Ultra is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon Elite 8 for Galaxy. There's 12GB of RAM, up to 1TB of storage for all your favorite mobile games and we noted lightning fast response times and seriously impressive performance in our review. In performance mode playing games at the highest settings, we didn't notice any overheating to speak of, though it did get pretty warm running the 3DMark benchmarking app’s Solar Bay Stress Test.
The beefy 5,000mAh battery will see you through hours of boss battles and epic MMORPG quests with friends, easily making it through a full day. With general use, this is a two-day phone, with around three hours of screen-on time a day. There's 45W wired charging to get you back into your gaming session quickly - the battery reaches 50% in around 20 minutes for those times you need a quick top up, though it takes just over an hour to reach full.
If you want to have a more enriched gaming experience, some fiddling will allow you to play PC games on an external monitor using Samsung's DeX mode. That's a feature barely any phone can match up to.
The best value gaming phone
OnePlus 13
- Great design, colors, and balance
- Excellent cameras
- Long battery life
- Slick, feature-packed software
- Durable
- Alert Slider
- Unreliable notifications
- No proprietary charger in the box
- Screen is highly sensitive
Why you should buy this: It's a plentiful Android phone with good gaming performance at an attractive price.
Who it’s for: Those who want a dependable flagship phone without breaking the bank.
Why we picked the OnePlus 13:
Though most devices on our list are a great value, you can grab the OnePlus 13 for around $850, making it the perfect phone for gaming without breaking the bank. Ok, so it's not explicitly a gaming phone, but its impressive hardware and gaming features ensure it's a worthy contender. A powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, 6,000mAh battery, impressive triple rear camera array, 100W fast charging, and vibrant 6.82-inch AMOLED display, plus IP68 and IP69 ratings for durability add up to an attractive package.
In our review, we noted that the Snapdragon 8 Elite chip didn't get hot during basic gaming sessions. The phone's frame did heat up when running the 3D Mark Solar Bay Stress Test, or during intense gaming sessions, but the back stayed cool to touch. That's likely thanks to the phone's new cooling system with 14 temperature sensors and two graphite layers.
Speaking of intense gaming, there's a huge 6,000mAh battery to support long sessions, with superfast 100W charging taking you from empty to full in just over 30 minutes with the 100W Super VOOC charger. That's not included — in fact, there's no charger in the box, but that's not unusual nowadays. A 30-minute gaming session playing Asphalt 9 Unite used only 4% battery, and with general use this is easily a multi-day phone.
On the gaming front, there are some standout features that helps this device make our list of the best gaming phones. The OnePlus 13 packs 72 types of haptic feedback that ensure your gameplay is as immersive as if you were playing with a controller.
There's also the Hyperboost Game Engine, which optimizes performance settings for gaming while silencing notifications and other distractions so you can lose yourself in whatever you're playing. Finally, although it's not a gaming-specific features, OnePlus' cool AquaTouch system lets you use the phone with wet fingers. It's designed for use on rainy days but doesn't go amiss with sweaty fingers during a tough boss battle.
The phone runs OxygenOS 15 over Android 15, and the combination of this with the Snapdragon 8 chip ensures top-notch smoothness and responsiveness for gaming and multitasking. You also get four years of OS updates and six years of security updates, making this a great future-proof choice for under $1,000.
The best folding gaming phone
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6
- Fantastic folding design
- Refined size and weight
- IP48 water and dust resistance
- Two colorful, usable screens
- Main camera takes fun, vibrant photos
- Long software commitment
- Slow battery charging
- One-day battery life
- More expensive than last year
Why you should buy this: This phone has is a powerhouse, with a tablet-like footprint that gives you a solid advantage.
Who it’s for: Power users who want an incredible phone for multitasking and relentless power for gaming.
Why we picked the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6:
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 is the most convincing foldable smartphone out there right now. With the latest generation, Samsung has reworked the design to make the Fold look more modern and less bulky. It is the thinnest and lightest Galaxy Fold so far, and weighs only slightly more than the iPhone 16 Pro. While it's thin profile and the favorable weight are among reasons that make it exciting while gaming, they aren't the only ones.
The Galaxy Z Fold 6 rocks a powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, but its flexibility to use folded or unfolded is what makes it so appealing as a gaming phone. The large 7.6-inch inner display not only gives you more room and better vertical span of view while gaming, but it also opens up the possibility for running emulation gaming with onscreen controller buttons without hindering visibility; just imagine running a Nintendo DS emulator!
Both the inner and outer screens offer great sharpness, exceptional colors, and high brightness. These attributes combine to make the Galaxy Z Fold 6 an excellent phone for a variety of games, but you'll especially enjoy ones with long cinematic cut scenes.
Like the Galaxy S25 Ultra, the Z Fold 6 can also be hooked to an external monitor and used for playing games, including some retro PC titles. It's also compatible with a keyboard and mouse. We also appreciate Samsung ensuring that the Fold 6 checks all boxes for power users, especially with its S Pen support. The convenience of carrying a tablet in your pocket and Samsung's commitment to keeping the phone up and running for the next seven years makes the deal even more enticing.
The best midrange gaming phone
OnePlus 13R
- Polished and practical hardware
- Fantastic, non-curved display quality
- Two (or more) days of battery life
- Surprisingly good cameras
- OxygenOS 15 is excellent
- Seriously incredible value
- Slower charge speeds compared to 12R
- $100 price increase
Why you should buy this: It comes with the trust of a reliable brand and offers incredibly high value for the money.
Who it’s for: Those who want high-end specs on a strict budget.
Why we picked the OnePlus 13R:
It's hard to believe $600 could get you a great gaming phone, but the OnePlus 13R packs a punch in the performance department. Powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, the same chip found in the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, one of our top gaming phones of 2024, it offers blazing fast performance, two-day battery life, and the same software updates commitment as the OnePlus 13.
The OnePlus 13R's design is simple and practical, yet it doesn't feel cheap. An IP65 rating ensures it's protected from dust and water, and it doesn't feel vastly different in hand to the OnePlus 13. Under the hood, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 is paired with 12GB of RAM and 512GB of onboard storage, and there was no noticeable heat build up during 30 or 45-minute gaming sessions during our time spent with the review unit.
This is a multi-day phone, with a 6,000mAH battery ensuring you won't be constantly reaching for the charger. The 55W charging speeds are a bit slower than the 80W we saw on the OnePlus 12R, but still take the battery from empty to full in under an hour, so you'll be good to game again in no time.
Speaking of gaming, Hyperboost gaming mode is present here to optimize your solo or multiplayer sessions, and everything looks stunning on the 6.78-inch AMOLED screen with adaptive 1-120Hz refresh rate.
The OnePlus 13R also packs a triple rear camera array with a 50MP telephoto lens replacing the OnePlus 12R's questionable 2MP macro camera. There's no Hasselblad branding here, but in our review we found the cameras were surprisingly good.
You're paying $600 but you get the same software updates commitment as OnePlus' flagship devices: four years of OS updates and six years of security updates. That's impressive for the price and ensures the OnePlus 13R has earned its place on our list, with powerful specs for an out-of-this-world price.
What to consider when buying the best gaming phone
There's plenty to think about when it comes to buying the best gaming phone, and we've broken this down for you below, to help you choose the right phone, whatever games you want to play.
Do you need a gaming phone or a regular phone with gaming features?
You may not need a gaming phone, but you likely want one. Normal phones are fine for gaming, particularly if your gaming habits extend to the odd game of Candy Crush or a couple of Among Us sessions with your friends on the weekends. For serious gamers, though, gaming phones are a great choice. They’re packed with additional features focused on gaming, like shoulder buttons, bigger fans for cooling, and customizable game modes to enhance your experience when playing the latest titles.
Even as normal phones lack the distinctive hardware features, they are on par in terms of software features like gaming modes. So if you’re looking for a phone capable of supporting your serious gaming habit, it’s well worth looking at which mainstream phones offer features aimed at gamers, like the S25 Ultra or the OnePlus 13.
What's your budget?
We'd all love to drop over $1,000 on a high-end gaming phone like the Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro. But if you're realistic about your budget, you might find you have less to spend. That doesn't mean you can't still get a fantastic phone with gaming features. The OnePlus 13 and OnePlus 13R are both great choices, with the 13R being the more budget-friendly of the two. If you have more to spend, the Asus ROG Phone 9 pro is clearly the holy grail of gaming phones, or you could opt for the iPhone 16 Pro Max or Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra if you'd prefer an Apple or Android phone that's still great for gaming.
What features can't you live without?
As we mentioned, gaming phones have loads of features designed to make your gaming sessions smoother, more enjoyable, and more immersive. Do you really need all those high-end features, though? If you're regularly playing COD Mobile or diving into intense MMORPG sessions with your friends, the Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro's features like shoulder buttons, enhanced cooling, and game modes that optimize your phone's performance are probably a must. If you're more of a casual gamer diving into the latest indie puzzler on your break from work, a budget phone like the OnePlus 13R would probably suit you just fine. You can still use features like its Hyperboost gaming mode to shut out distractions on those rare occasions your gaming sessions are more intense, but you're not wasting money on features you don't need and will never use.
What platforms are your favorite games on?
This is a bit like the age-old Xbox vs PS5 question. While most mobile games are available on both Android and iOS devices, there may be some titles that are platform specific. So if you've got your heart on playing a new game that's only out on one or the other, or if one platform has a history of focusing on the genre of game you play the most, that might sway your purchasing decision either way. It's also worth checking out pricing in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. There usually isn't much of a difference, but you might find the games you want to play are cheaper on iOS devices, in which case the iPhone 16 Pro Max is your go-to gaming phone. Or you could find more affordable games in your favorite genre on the Play Store, swaying your decision towards the S25 Ultra.
Do you want to play PC games on your phone?
Yes, that's a thing. Or it could be if you get yourself the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra or the Z Fold 6. Both phones have Samsung's DeX mode. It takes a bit of tweaking to set up, but once you're good to go you can play PC games on your phone, connected to an external monitor. We think that's pretty cool.
How we test
Many of us are gamers, whether we prefer puzzle games like Monument Valley or action RPGs like Road Trip to Canada. So we know how important it is to find a phone that can stand up to hours-long gaming sessions without overheating or impacting performance. We utilized this personal knowledge when choosing the best gaming phones, focusing on devices offering excellent value for money alongside superior gaming features, outstanding performance, and great battery life. We also tried to provide a wide range of phones to suit all budgets, so there's something on the list for everyone.
Why trust us?
Safe to say, we're some of the biggest nerds the planet has ever seen. Our (un)healthy obsession with all things tech often spills over from our work to our personal lives, and we have decades of experience writing about and testing multiple tech brands. It's our mission to be as objective as possible regarding the quality of each product we test. If we spot any shortcomings, we'll always point those out so our readers get the full picture. That means it's easier for you to make informed decisions when choosing your new gaming phone. After all, you're likely going to spend a lot of time gaming on it, so you need to know about any negatives alongside the positives.
