Mobile gaming has evolved significantly over the years, as smartphones now have enough power to produce console-level performance, further improving your gaming experience. Add the best gaming controllers, headphones, and accessories to the mix, and you'll understand why the mobile gaming industry is worth almost 200 billion dollars. However, this evolution has made choosing the right gaming phone difficult, as you can get top-tier performances from both flagship devices and dedicated gamer-centric phones.

Fortunately, we've reviewed our fair share of smartphones - enough to develop a comprehensive list of the best phones for gaming. Whether you want a premium device, a gamer-centric option, or a budget gaming smartphone, the list below has got you covered.

The best gaming phones in 2023

The iPhone has been a regular in the mobile gaming category for the past few years, and the iPhone 15 Pro Max has taken it up a notch. The recently launched iPhone has a powerful A17 Pro chipset that offers excellent speed and performance, making it a no-brainer for everyday use. However, its ability to play console-level games shoots the phone up the mobile gaming ladder.

True to Apple's claims, the iPhone 15 Pro Max can now play the console version of games like Resident Evil Village, Assassin's Creed Mirage, and Resident Evil 4 Remake. These games are not on the cloud but are downloaded and played locally on your device. And since the phone now has USB-C, you can easily connect your controllers and other devices, such as AR glasses, for a better gaming experience.

Besides its incredible performance, the iPhone 15 Pro Max offers access to Apple Arcade, a subscription service that offers multiple games with no ads or in-app purchases. Unlike most gamer-centric devices that focus on performance and design but neglect other aspects, the iPhone 15 Pro Max has multiple features that make it ideal as a daily driver. You get a 6.7-inch 120Hz OLED display, 8GB RAM, all-day battery life, up to 1TB of storage, and a camera array that produces impeccable images. The only cons here are the phone and the games' expensive price tag, as you'll have to purchase the games after playing to a certain level or stage.

It should be no surprise that the best Android gaming smartphone is one made by Asus. The company's tenure in the gaming space shows itself in the quality of its latest flagship smartphone, the ROG Phone 7.

It packs a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SOC, up to 16GB of LPDDR5X memory, and up to 512GB of UFS4.0 storage. These are some of the best specifications that you can find in any smartphone. They allow games to run smoother and offer more longevity where lesser-spec’d devices start to chug. The ROG Phone 7 also has a 6,000mAh battery with 65W fast charging, which delivers up to two-day battery life. It boasts a huge 6.78-inch 165Hz AMOLED display, making games feel fluid and responsive.

Tipping the scales at a whopping 239g, this isn’t a phone for the faint-hearted or faint-wristed, and it's not exactly great for long play sessions. The extra heft is partly due to Asus’ Gamecool 7, an included cooling solution encompassing a large vapor chamber, graphite cooling sheets, and an external fan accessory. This will keep the phone performing well and prevent thermal throttling, where the phone will drop clock speeds to keep temperatures in check, resulting in worse performance.

Asus has made further optimizations in software, including its X-Mode, which allows you to adjust the display’s touch sensitivity, reduce background processes, and optimize wireless connections to ensure a stable gaming experience.

The ROG Phone 7 won’t be for everyone. Aside from the huge weight and premium price tag, the device’s cameras can’t match those of Samsung, Xiaomi, and Apple. However, for all-out gaming, the ROG Phone 7 is unmatched.

Samsung’s Galaxy S23 Ultra is one of the best smartphones you can buy today. Its sleek design, versatile cameras, and beautiful screen make it a must-have for those with the cash.

The Galaxy S23 Ultra isn’t a gaming-specific device, meaning you don’t get hardware triggers, gaming goodies in the box, or RGB LEDs on the back. Instead, you get one of the best displays on a smartphone with a 6.8-inch QHD+ 120Hz AMOLED 2X panel. Though this screen won’t be as responsive as the ROG Phone 7's, its larger resolution and smaller bezels help create a crisp, clear window into games as you play. It’s not like the overly shouty gaming phones in terms of design; instead, it is more understated in its look, but you won't have any distractions when gaming.

Running the show is a custom Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 with an increased clock speed. This chipset is among the most powerful on the market, providing high frame rates. Combining its amazing screen and sharp performance with its otherwise world-class smartphone features like its stunning camera and great battery life makes this a device that can please most and impress many.

This is further compounded by the silky smooth and well-maintained OneUI software. Unlike the ROG Phone 7, the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s elevated price tag is more justified since it’s a better all-around smartphone. And while it has no dedicated gaming accessory, you can attach a solid controller to it via Bluetooth for a better gaming experience.

Xiaomi’s Poco smartphone line has cemented itself as a flagship-killer brand with relatively affordable yet fast and powerful devices. The Poco F4 GT doesn’t deviate from this, with a crazy price-to-performance ratio. For less than many other phones, the Poco F4 GT packs in mega specs and gaming-focused hardware. These include the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SOC, 8GB of LPDDR5 memory, 128GB of UFS3.1 storage, a 6.67-inch 120Hz AMOLED display, and 120W fast charging for its 4,700mAh battery. These aren’t the latest and greatest, but they are still very high-end specs, allowing the Poco F4 GT to run even the most demanding 3D titles.

The Poco F4 GT is more than an enticing spec sheet. It houses some of the best speakers you can get in a modern smartphone, and if you’re not into listening out loud, Poco has included a 3.5mm adapter in the box — a scarcity in the 2023 smartphone market.

The Poco F4 GT’s hardware gets better for gamers. Its mappable hardware shoulder buttons allow you to see more of the action on screen whilst still interacting with games. There’s also an RGB lighting array in the camera module on the back, which illuminates when gaming and when charging the device.

Xiaomi has included all of these features due in part to a lower-end FHD+ display over a higher resolution panel and a cut-back camera system. This is a device whose focus is high performance and gaming. If you’re happy to forego a quality camera and polished software experience, the F4 GT is a great option.

ZTE's Nubia RedMagic 8S Pro is another top-tier gaming phone. It's similar to the RedMagic 8 Pro, as it has the same build and features. You get an efficient cooling system to help improve performance, built-in RGB lighting, and haptic shoulder buttons for fluid gameplay. The shoulder buttons can also be remapped to suit your game and gaming style. The main difference between the Red Magic 8S Pro and the 8 Pro is the processor.

While both devices have the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, the 8 Pro has the SM8550-AB variant, while the 8S Pro has the SM8550-AC variant. The SM8550-AC variant, an overclocked chipset, was originally designed for the Samsung Galaxy S23 phone. But many manufacturers now use it in their devices as its main core and GPU has higher clocks than the SM8550-AB variant. This means the RedMagic 8S Pro is faster than the 8 Pro.

When you pair that with the phone's 12 or 16GB memory, up to 512GB storage, a colorful 120Hz AMOLED display, and its 6000mAh battery, you get excellent gaming performance. And once the phone runs out of juice, the 65W charging brick included in the box is always there to help you get your game back on in no time. The cameras are where you might start having problems with this phone, as they are subpar compared to the Samsung and Apple devices above. That said, if you’re in the market for an affordable phone with excellent hardware and active cooling, definitely give this a look.

The OnePlus Open is another excellent device you can use for gaming. It has two displays - a 7.8-inch internal 120Hz AMOLED screen and a 6.31 external display - meaning you can easily play tablet and slab phone games. The larger screen allows you to play games without feeling like your on-screen controls are jammed together, while the external display allows you to enjoy games that thrive on six-inch screens. Also, compared to foldable devices like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5, the crease on the screen is less subtle, providing you with a better, non-distracting gaming experience.

While this device isn't strictly a gaming phone, it has multiple features that'll help improve your gaming experience. You get immersive stereo speakers, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset for top-notch processing speed, 16GB RAM, 120Hz AMOLED display, and 512GB storage. These specifications allow for smoother gameplay, and you can store all media files on your device without worrying about storage.

Add that to the OxygenOS powering the OnePlus Open, and you can multitask and switch between different apps without closing one app for the other. The phone is also great for daily tasks, especially if you use many online desktop apps. It has a separate magnetic keyboard that makes typing easy, and the larger screen allows you some of the flexibility that comes with a laptop.

However, you'll need to keep in mind that this device is a foldable, which means that durability is one factor you'll always need to worry about. That said, the OnePlus Open is a versatile device that works well for productivity and gaming. The cameras are also impressive and unless you're gaming hard, you should get a full day of use from its 4805mAh battery.

The Xiaomi 13T Pro might not be marketed as a gaming phone, but it offers incredible specs that make it worth a shot in the gaming category. It has a Dimensity 9200+ chip, which provides enough power and performance to play today's Android games with no issues. The AMOLED display features a 144Hz refresh rate and up to 2600 nits of brightness, allowing you to play games outdoors, even in direct sunlight. It also has a dependable 5000mAh battery, and even when the power is down, you can get it back up in no time, thanks to its fast 120W charging speed.

While there are no RGB lights or hardware triggers here, this phone still delivers incredible sustained performance. You can play your games on it without experiencing throttling, even after extended periods. While the camera package isn't the best, and Xiaomi's OS isn't the most intuitive on the market, there's no denying the performance offered by this device. And to make things better, it's relatively affordable compared to many other devices on this list.

OnePlus’ focus has been speed for a number of years, and the OnePlus 11 doesn’t disappoint. It packs some killer specs and offers a fluid software experience that won’t leave you wanting more. This is partly thanks to the controversial software merger with Oppo, which brought some useful features.

The OnePlus 11 doesn’t just perform well with its Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SOC and 8GB RAM, but it also looks the part thanks to its unique off-center circular camera housing and refreshing Eternal Green colorway. Combine that with the thin bezels and Hasselblad branding, and you have a phone that looks and feels more than the sum of its parts. It also manages to feel premium for less than its competitors’ prices.

This phone has a slightly under-clocked Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SOC combined with a vapor chamber cooling backplate, which makes for a phone that doesn’t melt your hand when gaming for a long time. Whilst this comes at the slight cost of performance, it shouldn’t be enough to dissuade you from buying a very well-made phone that is available in the U.S. and worldwide at a midrange price.

Best gaming phones: Rounding out

Mobile gaming has become popular in recent times, and more brands are now paying attention to it. However, only a few gamer-centric phones are available on the market, hence the inclusion of many flagship devices. If you're in the market for the best gaming smartphone right now, the iPhone 15 Pro Max is an option you should consider.

It is widely available and offers a powerful chipset, console-level gaming, access to Apple Arcade, a beautiful camera array, and a long-lasting battery. You'll have your gaming device and your daily driver in one, though you may need to deal with warmth when using the phone for extended periods.

For Android gamers, the Asus ROG Phone 7 is the device you want to go for. It has top-of-the-line specs, gaming-optimized software, and accessory support, such as the cooling fan. If a budget gaming device is what you're looking for, consider the Poco F4 GT. While it doesn't have the best cameras, you will surely get a great gaming experience from this device thanks to features like its superb speakers and hardware triggers.