Gaming Phones, Best Gaming Phones, Best Gaming Phones In 2022
Phones have slowly replaced so many standalone devices that we used to rely on, so why not let our handheld gaming take over. Razer made waves in late 2017 and joined Asus's ROG arm in 2018 with offers from Xiaomi-backed Black Shark and ZTE's Nubia. They have gaming-centric features and often sport a certain gaming aesthetic that may not be to everyone's taste, but some mainstream phones can do better for gaming than others. What's the best out there right now?
Top 6 Best Gaming Phones Right Now
1. Asus ROG Phone 5 ( Best Gaming Phone )
2. Apple iPhone 11 ( Best Gaming Phone )
3. ZTE nubia Red Magic 6 ( Best Gaming Phone )
4. ZTE nubia Red Magic 6 Pro ( Best Gaming Phone )
5. Lenovo Legion Duel 5G ( Best Gaming Phone )
6. Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G ( Best Gaming Phone )
1. Asus ROG Phone 5 ( Best Gaming Phone )
Asus ROG Phone 5 ZS673KS / I005DA 5G Dual 128GB 12GB RAM Factory Unlocked (GSM Only | No CDMA - not Compatible with Verizon/Sprint) Tencent Games Google Play Installed - Phantom Black
Asus ROG Phone 5 PROS
- The most toned-down and subdued ROG aesthetic to date
- AirTigger 5 ultrasonic touch sensors are truly industry-leading in versatility and precision. Motion controls are extended and greatly improved from last-gen
- Industry-leading stereo speaker setup, with gaming-specific enhancements
- Amazing 144Hz AMOLED display, with excellent automatic refresh rate handling and high refresh rate gaming support
- One of the best thermally-managed Snapdragon 888 implementations on the market
- Clean, yet very feature-rich Android OS, complete with unparalleled gaming options and tweaking controls
- Solid all-round camera performance
Asus ROG Phone 5 CONS
- No longer backward compatible with most ROG Phone II or 3 accessories. The available accessory ecosystem is significantly smaller than on previous models
- New AeroActive Cooler 5 and side connector designs are fragile and worse than their predecessors
- No water or dust resistance
- No microSD
No one does smartphone gaming like Asus. Four iterations in the ROG phone line, it's a fact. The ROG Phone 5 is a true powerhouse in every sense of the word - a phone that has been specially crafted to deliver the best possible gaming experience, with any other concerns or considerations taking a back seat. It just so happens that when you make an excellent gaming flagship, you usually end up with an excellent all-around device that has a lot of appeal outside of gaming.
If mobile gaming is your top priority, it's hard to find another offering that delivers anywhere near the complete and immersive experience of ROG.
We can certainly admire Asus' excellent logic for handling the fast 144Hz refresh rate on the ROG Phone 5's OLED panel or the in-depth control mapping and customization offered by ArmoryCrate, with control schemes often an unfair advantage. has a limit. However, it would be deceiving to praise only the ROG Phone 5, when in fact it is one of the weaker entries in the ROG family so far. On a hardware level, it's a small upgrade over the ROG Phone 3.
There are no new major Spotlight features, no pushing the envelope in terms of display technology or additional controls and inputs. We can't say that we particularly like the new design for the side connectors. It is difficult and delicate to operate. Plus, it breaks compatibility with the excellent mobile desktop dock. On top of that, the ROG Phone 5's slightly longer body makes it incompatible with other accessories, such as the Twinview Dock. The simple design for the AeroActive Cooler 5 has its issues, too, and for the first time ever, it's not included with every unit. The new split battery design is also a polarizing topic.
Perhaps Asus is in the midst of some business "reconfiguration" here. Making headlines and laser-focused on delivering Pro Tools specifically for esports competitors and organizers, shifting the focus away from head-users and extravagant accessories. Looks like it's too early to tell. Nevertheless, the ROG Phone 5 remains the most feature-complete and sophisticated gaming phone out there today.
2. Apple iPhone 11 ( Best Gaming Phone )
Apple iPhone 11, 128GB, Red - Unlocked (Renewed Premium)
Apple iPhone 11 PROS
- Vast game ecosystem, early releases, and exclusive iOS titles
- One of the most powerful chipsets available
- Great battery life, wireless charging support
- IP68 rated
- Very capable camera
Apple iPhone 11 CONS
- Low-res 60Hz LCD notched too
- Painfully slow charging with the bundled adapter
Apple decided to keep the iPhone 11 in production even after the launch of the iPhone 12 series. The good news is that the iPhone 11 is now even cheaper, and it remains a very capable phone for gaming. In fact, iPhones always have been, we'd argue. Certainly, the combination of super-powerful hardware with a huge selection of games (exclusive to certain platforms or coming soon from elsewhere) makes the iPhone 11 a gaming smartphone. Long battery life doesn't hurt either.
The iPhone, of course, lacks the bells and whistles of a gaming-focused handset and its display only has a 60Hz refresh rate, and its design is rather dull and unflattering. But it's also a very good phone outside of that one use case called gaming.
You can also consider the new iPhone 12 for a better chipset and high-resolution OLED screen. However, it is more expensive and offers less battery life. And these are the reasons why we decided to keep the iPhone 11 instead of replacing it with a newer model.
3. ZTE nubia Red Magic 6 ( Best Gaming Phone )
Nubia RedMagic 5G Game Mobile Phone 8GB RAM 128GB ROM Snapdragon865 6.65" 64MP 4500mAh NFC Android 10 Smartphone
ZTE nubia Red Magic 6 PROS
- The first (but not last) 165Hz AMOLED display in the business, minimal touch latency, bright
- Snapdragon 888 with a built-in fan ensures sustained top performance for long gaming sessions
- Hardware trigger buttons
- Lower price than the competition
- Quite the looker, LED-illuminated RGB strips
ZTE nubia Red Magic 6 CONS
- Not many games can provide framerates to match the screen refresh rate
- Uninspiring camera performance
- Confusing software and issues with translation
- Outside of China, the 66W charger doesn't come bundled
The new Nubia Red Magic 6 is an excellent upgrade over the Red Magic 5G/5S and is one of the most interesting gaming phones ever. Apart from the new Snapdragon 888 with a built-in cooling fan, of course, we get this amazing 6.8" AMOLED with 165Hz refresh and 1B colors.
Like the Red Magic 5G/5S, the Red Magic 6 is affordable (in flagship terms), comes pretty much everywhere, and looks great. And what accessory is needed for the ROG Phone, Nubia has built-in - a cooling fan.
It might not be picture-perfect as the camera performance is very low, but as far as gaming is concerned - the Red Magic 6 is one of the best in class.
4. ZTE nubia Red Magic 6 Pro ( Best Gaming Phone )
Red Magic 6 Pro Dual-SIM 165Hz Display 5G Gaming Smartphone Factory Unlocked US Version 16 GB RAM + 256 GB 64MP Camera Android 11 Cell Phone Silver
Red Magic 6 Pro PROS
- A 144Hz AMOLED display, minimal touch latency
- Snapdragon 888 with outstanding passive cooling makes for impressive sustained top performance
- Trigger buttons
- Affordable price
- Excellent photo and video quality on the main camera
- Fast to charge
Red Magic 6 Pro CONS
- Uninspiring battery life
- No stereo speakers
- Switching to the ultrawide cam is convoluted and it can't record video either
- Under load, a couple of spots along the frame get unbearably hot
The new Nubia Red Magic 6 Pro is quite an alternative to the more expensive Red Magic 6. It has a 144Hz AMOLED screen and the latest Snapdragon 888 chip with the best passive cooling system we have experienced to provide for impressive continuous performance.
We were also impressed by the phone's clean design, fast battery charging, and flagship-grade photos and videos coming from its main camera. Unfortunately, Nubia still may not offer a proper switch to the ultrawide camera making it useless most of the time.
The only real omission in this Red Magic 6R is the dual speakers. We can't miss this feature on any phone, especially a gaming-focused one. Still, the Red Magic 6T ticks all other boxes - be it a flagship killer, premium mid-rangers, or gaming phone - and it easily earns our recommendation.
5. Lenovo Legion Duel 5G ( Best Gaming Phone )
Lenovo Legion Duel 5G 256GB 12GB RAM International Version - Vengeance Red
Lenovo Legion Duel 5G PROS
- Great 144Hz OLED display, HDR10+, no cutouts
- Promising battery life and blazing-fast charging
- Snapdragon 865+, 12GB or 16GB RAM, UFS3.1 storage
- Shoulder trigger, RGB lights
- Stereo speakers
Lenovo Legion Duel 5G CONS
- No IP rating
- No wireless charging
- No audio jack, no microSD slot
- €1000
The recently released Lenovo Legion Duel 5G is definitely shaping up to be one of the ultimate gaming smartphones. It has a promising 144Hz AMOLED screen with fast touch response, the fastest chip yet on the market, plenty of RAM, and of course, plenty of triggers, capacitive zones on the back, and two Force Touchpoints on the display itself. There are no cutouts on the screen as the new 44MP selfie camera is mounted on a motorized pop-up mechanism on the side.
The Dual has an advanced cooling system with two dedicated fans – the first intakes hot air and passes it through a copper heat sink, while the second acts as an exhaust.
The dual-cameras (64 main + 16MP ultrawide) are nothing special, but this is a gaming phone, not a camera one. What is special though is the fast wired charging. The battery is 5,500mAh and is divided into two 2,750 mAh cells. It can be recharged at 90W and gets a full charge in just 30 minutes. To do this you'll need to plug the charger into two USB-C ports—one on the bottom and the other on the left—and fill both cells together.
The second Duel is cheaper than its predecessor - its EU price starts at €799. It looks like it's packing everything a gaming phone needs, including the RGB logo on the back and a streaming-friendly selfie camera. And if things improve, it could replace the ROG 5 in our next revision of this guide.
5. Xiaomi Black Shark 4 Pro ( Best Gaming Phone )
Black Shark 3 5G Unlock Gaming Smartphone Global Version 8G 128G Mobile Phones Octa-Core Snapdragon Grey
Xiaomi Black Shark 4 Pro PROS
- Not that expensive
- 144Hz OLED display, HDR10+
- Promising battery life and very fast 120W charging
- Snapdragon 888 5G
- Physical gaming triggers
- Stereo speakers, audio jack
Xiaomi Black Shark 4 Pro CONS
- No IP rating
- No wireless charging
The Black Shark 4 Pro is an excellent choice as it is probably the cheapest of these gaming-oriented flagships. It also offers some notable upgrades over the Black Shark 3 Pro, including a 144Hz OLED, a faster chipset, better connectivity options, and a more reasonable footprint (the 3 Pro's 7.1" screen was an overkill).
The Black Shark 4 Pro comes with a regular-sized 6.67" OLED display, capable of a 144Hz refresh rate and HDR10+ playback. There's also a massive 4,500mAh battery that can be fast-charged at 120W for 15 minutes. It also flexes stereo speakers, plus it offers an audio jack!
The best part is that the Black Shark 4 Pro isn't that expensive, ROG's money isn't anyway. And if that's still a bit pricey for you, you might want to consider the even cheaper Snapdragon 870-powered Black Shark 4.
6. Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G ( Best Gaming Phone )
Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G + 4G LTE Volte Global Unlocked GSM 128GB + 6GB 64MP Triple Camera Worldwide GSM (Truffle Black)
- 6.55" 90Hz 1B color HDR10+ AMOLED screen
- Gaming-friendly Snapdragon 780G 5G chip with 6GB or 8GB RAM
- Excellent battery life, fast charging
- Plenty of snappers with the good overall quality
- Loud stereo speakers
- IP53-rated glass body
- Cheap
Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G CONS
- No special gaming features
Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G looks like a great gaming phone on a budget. It has an HRR HDR10 OLED screen, while the Snapdragon 780G delivers more than enough punch for smooth gaming. And some games can even go beyond 60fps, unlike the Realme HRR phone. We also appreciate the Mi 11 Lite 5G, which has a battery backup that lets you run multiple gaming sessions on a single charge. And charging is fast!
The Mi 11 Lite 5G is particularly good at capturing photos, delivering excellent photo and video quality across all cameras. And we liked its stereo speakers, great connectivity options, and splash resistance.
Related Blog
1. Best Gaming Keyboards In 2022
3. Best Gaming Laptops In 2022
4. Best Gaming Headphone In 2022
Related Keywords
Game Phone
Gaming Phone
Best Gaming Phones For USA
Best Gaming Phones For UK
Best Gaming Phones For CA
Best Gaming Phones For All
Best Gaming Phones In 2022
Gaming Phones
Best Gaming Phones
Best Gaming Phones In 2022
game phone
gaming phone
gaming phones
gaming mobile,
mobile for gaming
best gaming phone
the best phone for gaming
gaming cell phone
gaming cellphone
phone for games
best gaming phone under 20000
Xiaomi gaming phone
best gaming phone under 15000
best budget gaming phone 2022 USA
best gaming phones in Nigeria
best gaming phone 2020
best gaming phone for pubg
the best budget gaming phone