Best Gaming Phone in 2022: Competing with Popular Consoles

Best gaming phones in 2022 can present smooth playing encounters that compete with successful consoles and gaming systems -- all from the comfort of your smartphone.

Not all phones are devised for gaming. Here are the most reliable Android and iOS phones for gamers. If you're a portable gamer, having the best phone can make a vast difference in your gaming action.

With so many opportunities in the business, how do you pick the best gaming phone? You'll want to watch for something solid and reliable, with high resolution, a fast refresh rate display, and an abundance of power.

Best Gaming Phone in 2022

Asus ROG Phone 5

Pros	Cons
144Hz AMOLED display, Top-notch performance, Gaming-focused features	Gets hot quickly, Tall and heavy design. No cooler in the box

The Asus ROG Phone 5 is the top gaming phone, hands down. Asus has endured things up a notch with a 144Hz AMOLED screen, the top-end Snapdragon 888, two 3,000mAh batteries, and up to an eye-watering 16GB of RAM. The gaming knowledge is enhanced by haptic triggers built directly into the side of the ROG Phone 5, including Nintendo Switch-esque Kunai 5 controllers and the fan-powered AeroActive Cooler 5 cooling system - should be right up your street. They're not connected to gaming, but even the cameras are decent.

Nubia Red Magic 6S Pro

Pros	Cons
6.8in 165Hz OLED display, 400Hz touch sample rate, Great performance	Heavy build, Hit-and-miss camera performance, Can't change default launcher

Nubia has again produced an excellent gaming phone with the Red Magic 6, a quick 6.8in 165Hz OLED panel, and a 400Hz touch sample rate. That's paired with Snapdragon 888+, 12- or 16GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage, as well as a built-in fan system to keep items cool during longer gaming sessions. There are also a lot of gaming features, including advanced haptic feedback, side-mounted shoulder triggers, and the ability to control performance on a per-game basis. It's all presented in Red Magic's 'Game Space' mode. The rear-facing triple camera setup remains unchanged from the Red Magic 6, and it's beginning to show its age in everyday performance

ZTE Axon 30 Ultra

Pros	Cons
Svelte design, Great performance, 6.67in 144Hz AMOLED display	Gets hot quickly, No gaming-specific hardware, No gaming accessories

Though the ZTE Axon 30 Ultra is lightweight compared to the likes of the ROG Phone 5 - but the svelte flagship has a surprise or two up its sleeves. First, it's powered by Qualcomm's top-end Snapdragon 888 with either 8GB or 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM and up to 256GB of storage, able to take on dedicated gaming phones like the Red Magic 6 in our benchmarks. In addition, 6.67in AMOLED display offers a buttery-smooth 144Hz refresh rate and 300Hz touch sample rate, providing a responsive gameplay experience. In addition, it has a 65W fast charging and a quad-camera array composed of three 64Mp cameras and a telescope lens, all at a cost much cheaper than contending flagships from Samsung and OnePlus.

Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max

Pros	Cons
Powerful A15 Bionic chipset, Superb battery life, 6.7in 120Hz display	Expensive, No charger in the box

The 6.7 inches iPhone 13 Pro Max is the one to beat. Apple's 5nm A15 Bionic is the most powerful chipset on the market right now. The iPhone 13 Pro Max sports a stunning Super Retina XDR display that makes games look fantastic on the iPhone. It's one of the first iPhones to leap at a variable 120Hz refresh rate, delivering the buttery-smooth refresh rate - and improved response time. In addition, there's up to a whopping 1TB of storage available so that you can hold an entire library of mobile matches in your bag, and the battery life is the best of any iPhone to date for more extended play sessions.

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra

Pros	Cons
Premium design, Incredible cameras, 6.8in 120Hz AMOLED display	No microSD slot, Very expensive, No charger in the box

Samsung's premium Galaxy S21 Ultra is an exceptional flagship and one of the most well-rounded and expensive phones. You get a 20:9 6.8 inch display with an HDR10+ visual, WQHD+ resolution, and an adaptive 120Hz refresh rate for easy gameplay. Modeling the ultra-powerful Exynos 2100, performance is top-notch, creating it an excellent choice for enjoying media and gaming. There's 5G onboard, and 25W fast charging implies you can refill 56% of the phone's 5,000mAh battery in half an hour. Sporting a 108Mp primary camera and another high-end camera tech, it doesn't skimp on its photography prowess like some gaming-focused phones.

Nubia Red Magic 6R

Pros	Cons
Impressive performance, 144Hz AMOLED display, Built-in triggers	Disappointing battery life, Red Magic OS, Hit-and-miss cameras

The Red Magic 6R is the cheapest gaming-dedicated smartphone on the market. While sporting a 6.67 inch AMOLED display slightly smaller than the flagship Red Magic 6, you'll find the exact 1080 x 2400 resolution and 400Hz touch sampling rate. The 144Hz refresh rate may be a little slower. Under the display, you'll discover the powerful Snapdragon 888 with either 6GB, 8GB, or 12GB of RAM, depending on the variant you opt for. It's capable of keeping up with flagship gaming phones in the performance department. The only real disappointment is battery life; a 4200mAh battery can only provide all-day usage if you lower the refresh rate from 144Hz to 90Hz. Nevertheless, the Red Magic 6R offers a premium mobile gaming experience at an affordable price.

Xiaomi Poco X3 Pro

Pros	Cons
Great performance, Very affordable, Long-lasting battery	No 5G, Bulky design, Average camera performance

Xiaomi's Poco X3 Pro has built on the success of the popular Poco X3 NFC to provide fast performance without the price tag. It is coupled with 6- or 8GB of RAM and up to 256GB of storage, and the 6.67in LCD panel delivers a boosted 120Hz refresh rate and a 240Hz touch response rate. The 5160mAh battery is more than enough to bring you through an enthusiastic gaming session or two, and while 33W wired charging isn't the fastest available, it's still pretty cool.

Motorola Moto G200

Pros	Cons
144Hz display, Flagship performance, Standard mobile	LCD display, No gamer software/accessories

Moto G200 is a gaming-focused phone with premium specs that include a 6.8-inch display with an impressive 144Hz refresh rate, Qualcomm's top-end Snapdragon 888 Plus, and a whopping 5,000mAh battery to keep you gaming for longer - all for an astonishingly mid-range price. It's not the perfect gaming experience; there aren't any game-related software features or accessories available for the Moto G200. The display uses LCD tech in place of OLED, favored by many rivals. The flip side is that the Moto G200 looks 'normal' - ideal if you're not a fan of the gaming aesthetic on offer from the likes of Black Shark - and you're treated to near-stock Android 11 too.

Oppo Find X3 Pro

Pros	Cons
6.7 inch 120Hz AMOLED display, Great performance, Excellent battery	Performance throttling, Very expensive, No gaming-specific features

The Oppo Find X3 Pro is a fantastic mobile that somehow beats 2020's equally outstanding X2 Pro. The 6.7 inch, 10-bit, 120Hz, QHD+ panel is undoubtedly the best display in any phone right now, perfect for mobile gaming, and Oppo supports it up with the most immediate wired charging around at 65W to bring you back in the game faster. Though it may not include the gamer aesthetic of other opportunities, the mirror-like finish and curved glass camera housing will undoubtedly catch the eye. In addition, it's relatively lightweight compared to the competition. The Find X3 Pro is well equipped to handle even the most passionate gaming sessions, with a Snapdragon 888, 256GB storage, 12GB RAM to boot, and the rear-facing quad-camera setup is among the best around.

Points To Consider While Buying A Gaming Phone in 2022

• Fast, modern processor for central technical component like Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 and Apple A14 Bionic
• High screen refresh rate of at least 120Hz.
• Phones with ample storage
• Random Access Memory (RAM),
• Better battery life to enjoy longer, uninterrupted gaming sessions