Guide to the Top Gaming Smartphones of 2024

No matter if it’s PUBG Mobile or Fortnite’s virtual world that you’re exploring, for an optimal gaming experience you need a powerful device with elite CPUs such as Apple’s A17 Bionic chip or Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, to guarantee smooth and lag-free gameplay.

ASUS ROG Phone 8 Pro gaming smartphones provide top speed and performance with innovative features like trigger buttons and enhanced cooling for optimum gameplay.

1. iPhone 15 Pro Max

Apple’s latest iPhone Pro models boast greater screen real estate than previous models and the A17 Pro chip can easily handle console-grade games. When pushing with benchmarks or games, the phone still gets warm compared to some rival phones but does not reach molten temperatures like some.

Bezels on Apple’s new flagship are small enough to compete with those seen on Google Pixel and Samsung Galaxy flagship phones, and its titanium frame remains premium with new brushed finishes that create an almost industrial aesthetic. Unfortunately, starting price for 256GB starts at $1,200.

2. OnePlus 12

The OnePlus 12 provides great gaming performance for Android fans, featuring powerful processors and plenty of RAM. The 144Hz P-OLED screen offers crisp images while frame rate drops are barely detectable.

It also features 80W SuperVOOC charging, providing quick recharge times back to 100% in mere minutes. Finally, its excellent haptics feature an action button to trigger capacitive triggers or other software features.

3. Oppo Reno12 Pro

The OPPO Reno 12 Pro is an ideal budget Android phone. The display is brilliant, the cameras capture great images in low light environments and there are various AI features for added convenience.

The phone features a subtle yet undeniably curved screen that won’t become uncomfortable to hold, plus a smart sidebar providing easy access to apps and functions. Running on Android with ColorOS user interface as well as useful tools like File Dock 512GB storage comes standard.

4. Vivo V30 Pro

Vivo offers an elegant design paired with powerful performance and cutting-edge features, making this phone one of the best cameras available at this price range, particularly with its rear triple 50MP sensor.

This display boasts up to 2800 nits peak brightness and supports 1.07 billion colors, featuring Wet-Hand Touch technology so users can use it even when their fingers are wet.

The V30 Pro runs Funtouch OS 14 Global, based on Android 14. It includes up to 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM and up to 512GB of UFS 3.1 storage; its battery can provide two years of OS upgrades and three years of security patches.

5. iQOO Neo9 Pro

The iQOO Neo9 Pro boasts an exquisite 6.78-inch LTPO AMOLED display with slim bezels and an embedded punch-hole notch for a full-screen experience. Furthermore, this phone offers 4D game vibration to enhance gaming experiences even further.

This smartphone features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor and up to 12GB of RAM, giving it the capability of handling heavy-duty games such as Genshin Impact and Call of Duty at high graphics settings.

The iQOO Neo9 Pro boasts a dedicated gaming chip that reduces latency and power consumption during game play, and improves image quality through frame interpolation.

6. Poco X6 Pro

Xiaomi’s Poco X6 Pro gaming smartphone is an affordable powerhouse, beating rivals with its high-performance chips and sleek design. Additionally, Xiaomi provides regular software updates as well as an efficient cooling system designed to maintain optimal temperatures when playing graphic-intensive games.

The Snapdragon 7S Gen 2 and MediaTek Dimensity 8300 Ultra power the X6 Pro and make it an attractive option for gamers; however, its performance may cause issues for some.

HyperOS is an imitation of iOS, and the phone comes packed with unwanted software and ads that appear when searching the app drawer search for programs to install.

7. Realme 13 Pro 5G

Gaming phones feature powerful processors and high-resolution, high-refresh rate displays to let you experience your games in stunning clarity. Furthermore, these phones include software specifically tailored for optimizing performance and improving gameplay; some devices, like Asus ROG Phone 8 Pro even come equipped with an interactive dashboard that enables quick adjustments of settings on-the-fly.

Its sleek design packs it full of gaming features that make it an attractive option for mobile gamers, including an ample battery, fast charging capability and an advanced cooling system. Furthermore, there’s even an anti-distraction mode to prevent notifications from distracting your gameplay experience.

8. OnePlus Open

The OnePlus Open stands out among foldables by taking an unconventional route; though not as flexible or versatile as the Galaxy Z Fold 5 or Pixel Fold, it still makes an excellent choice. Its 5.5-inch display boasts a high refresh rate while supporting external displays – plus, its quick processing power means its an incredible value proposition.

Its Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip is faster than most other leading Android phones and it boasts 16GB of RAM for smooth use over long sessions. Furthermore, you’ll gain access to a dedicated gaming mode and downloadable macros that make long-term use simpler and simpler.

9. Black Shark 6 Pro

Xiaomi’s Black Shark gaming smartphone provides an immersive gaming experience and comes loaded with tons of gamer-oriented features. Although it may be slightly costly, it will more than pay for itself with the gaming experience it delivers.

Xiaomi could unveil a gaming phone from their Black Shark series with Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chip this year – as is often done, they typically release main phones in March before refreshing them around October.

10. ASUS ROG Phone 8 Pro

Modern mobile phones may feature sleek black faces with slim bezels, but the ROG Phone 8 Pro stands out with some unique gamer-oriented touches like its programmable set of “gaming” mini-LED lights on its back and an AI-grabber which scans in-game text quickly to look up guides or other relevant information quickly.

IP68 rating ensures it can withstand water and dust, as well as essential gaming design features like Air Triggers that can be assigned controls in various games.