Top 5 Best Gaming Smartphones in 2025

We thoroughly test all of the best gaming phones, not just using benchmark software, but also in real-world scenarios. We enjoy online multiplayer games like Call of Duty Mobile and PUBG, massive role-playing games like Genshin Impact, battle arena games like Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, casual strategy games like Marvel Snap, and streaming games from our Xbox One X console.

The Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro is the best premium gaming phone, but you can get serious gaming performance for a lower price or without the gamer aesthetic. The RedMagic 10 Pro delivers the same power for less money and has an incredible battery life. Of course, there’s always the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, which consistently achieves the highest scores in benchmark tests.

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Last update on 2025-03-15 / Affiliate links/images from Amazon.

Top 5 Best Gaming Smartphones in 2025

1.Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro

Last update on 2025-03-15 / Affiliate links/images from Amazon.

The Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro is a performance powerhouse. It’s the most powerful phone we’ve tested thus far. It has a subtle design for a gaming phone, an impressive battery life, and a plethora of useful features.

Last year, Asus streamlined its gaming phone design, and the ROG Phone 9 Pro continues that trend. It’s still a little chunky, but the soft-touch glass back makes it easier to hold. Asus even included some cool features, such as wireless charging and IP68 water resistance, which are uncommon in gaming phones.

For gamers, the larger 5,800mAh battery allows you to play for hours on end, and the secondary USB-C port makes it simple to charge while playing.

The camera system is satisfactory, but not outstanding. It takes good photos in most situations, but it can’t compete with the best camera phones from Apple, Google, and Samsung. However, it does include a cool new gimbal system for super-stable shots.

The Snapdragon 8 Elite processor is the true star of the show. This new chipset breezes through games and benchmarks, and the improved cooling system ensures that it runs smoothly even during extended gaming sessions. In addition, you can choose between a gamer-focused UI and a more traditional Android look.

Overall, the Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro is a fantastic phone for gamers and everyday users alike. It’s expensive, but it delivers top-notch performance, a sleek design, and a ton of useful features. If you’re looking for a phone that can do it all, the ROG Phone 9 Pro is definitely worth considering.

Asus abandoned its juvenile gamer aesthetic for the ROG Phone 8 Pro in favor of something more subdued and mature. Indeed, the transformation was so complete that Asus effectively re-released the phone several months later as the normie Zenfone 11 Ultra.

Unsurprisingly, the Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro remains true to its design. The phone looks and feels almost identical to its predecessor, measuring 163.8 x 76.8 x 8.9mm and weighing 227g. That is large by normal standards, but not particularly so for a gaming phone.

Like the ROG Phone 8 pro, this heft is partly softened by a soft-touch precision-etched glass material on the rear that curves off at the edges. The Pro model only comes in a sober Phantom Black finish, which has just the slightest of glimmers about it. It’s totally non-reflective, however, and also mercifully resistant to fingerprints.

There are still a few gamery decals dotted around the back of the phone, but at least Asus has ditched the cheesy ‘Dare to Win’ message this time around.Asus has leaned into the AniMe Vision secondary display, which debuted on the ROG Phone 8 Pro. This LED system (which ranges from 341 to 648 LEDs) is completely invisible by default and only illuminates when activated through the menus. You can set it to play small animations when music is playing, for incoming calls and notifications, and more. I particularly liked the small countdown timer and smiley face that appear when you take a timed photo.

The ability to play simple games on this stylized secondary display is a significant new feature, but it may be the least important use case. You can use the Air Trigger controls to play crude knock-offs of Space Invaders, Snake, and other games. None of them are particularly good, and I’m not sure why you’d ever choose one of these given the variety of games available on the main screen.

Asus added IP68 certification to the ROG Phone 8 Pro, and it returns here. It’s something you don’t get on the Red Magic 9 Pro, which has large fan vents, and it’s especially welcome as the bad weather begins to set in.For gamers, the more accessible design is a mixed bag. On the plus side, you get a second USB-C port on the left edge, making it simple to charge while gaming. You’ll also find a 3.5mm headphone jack for latency-free audio.

In contrast, Asus’ more streamlined design eliminates the need for dual front-facing speakers. The earpiece fires frontwards, but the other speaker is located on the phone’s bottom edge. This will never match the stereo clarity of true front-firing speakers, and Asus is aware of this.

2.Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Last update on 2025-03-15 / Affiliate links/images from Amazon.

While Apple’s MacOS computers may lag behind in terms of gaming performance, the iPhone is an excellent gaming platform, with the iPhone 16 Pro Max easily the best option. It has the largest, brightest display, the fastest performance, and the best design of any iPhone available today. If you can afford Apple’s top products, you’ll be happier every time you play.

When it comes to games, the iPhone simply excels in some areas. Many of the best controller accessories, including the Nomad Scuf and Sony Backbone, debuted on the iPhone first. The iPhone also has access to Apple’s exclusive Apple Arcade store, which offers a huge selection of games for a monthly fee.

The iPhone 16 Pro Max, with its A18 Pro processor, is the most future-proof iPhone model available, whether you’re playing detailed games like Death Stranding or waiting for the latest Apple Intelligence features in iOS 18. If you don’t have a Pro phone, Apple warns that you may miss out on the AI party.

The iPhone 16 Pro Max has excellent battery life, stunning photography, and a futuristic titanium design. It’s expensive, but it’s the best iPhone for gaming and one of the best gaming phones available.The iPhone 16 Pro Max, with its A18 Pro processor, is the most future-proof iPhone model available, whether you’re playing demanding games like Death Stranding or waiting for the latest Apple Intelligence features in iOS 18. If you don’t have a Pro phone, Apple warns you that you’ll miss out on the AI party.

The iPhone 16 Pro Max features an impressive battery life, stunning photography, and a futuristic titanium design. It’s expensive, but it’s the best iPhone for gaming and one of the best gaming phones on the market.Its dimensions are similar to those of the iPhone 15 Pro Max, but it is slightly larger in some areas. The 16 Pro Max measures 163 x 77.6 x 8.25 mm and weighs 227 grams. That is six grams heavier, 3.1mm taller, and 0.9mm wider than the iPhone 15 Pro Max. If you’re used to holding and using the Phone 15 Pro Max, I believe you’ll have no trouble with the iPhone 16 Pro Max. I wouldn’t say the new phone felt significantly larger in my hand, but I did notice a difference in screen size.

The bottom edge features microphone and speaker perforations along with a USB-C port that, with the right cable, can support Thunderbolt 4 data-transfer speeds. There’s also a speaker slot along the very top edge of the display. Together with the bottom edge speaker, this phone can produce undistorted, room-filling sound – highs are sharp, mids are strong, and bass is good for the device size.

The button placement is mostly the same as last year, with the volume and Action buttons on one side and the larger power/sleep/Siri button on the other. They are joined, however, by a new button (which Apple insists is not a button) called Camera Control. The Camera Control button, which is roughly the same size as the power button, is a multipurpose control that recognizes physical presses as well as lighter pressure to enable haptic response and gestures. It provides instant access to the camera and, with additional presses and gestures, to a variety of virtual millimeter lenses and settings.

Camera Control replaces the old antenna cutout on the iPhone 15 Pro Max (it looks like the newer phone doesn’t need one anymore), and it’s recessed, so there’s little chance of accidentally triggering it. On the other hand, I noticed that when I put the phone in a pressure-grip iPhone holder, there’s no longer a clear spot where no button falls under the grip. As a result, the Camera Control did press in a little bit but it didn’t trigger any action. What I saw on the iPhone screen was a tiny bit of the virtual screen deformation that appears when you start to press Camera Control.

3.Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

Last update on 2025-03-15 / Affiliate links/images from Amazon.

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra marks a significant advancement for Samsung’s flagship line, combining a refined design with a strong emphasis on AI. While it adopts a more unified aesthetic to match the rest of the S25 series, losing some of the Note’s distinct character, the phone is now lighter and thinner than before. It retains the integrated S Pen, a standout feature that continues to provide unique productivity and gaming capabilities.

The large 6.9-inch AMOLED display, which became larger as Samsung shrunk the bezels, is a major selling point for gamers. This allows for a larger viewing area without increasing the phone’s overall size. While the resolution and adaptive 120Hz refresh rate are unchanged from the previous generation, the visual experience remains excellent, with vibrant colors and smooth motion. Samsung has added ProScaler technology. The ability to upscale any lower-resolution content is powered by silicon and may be useful if, for example, you’re playing an old game on the Quad HD+ screen.

The Galaxy S25 Ultra is powered by the Galaxy-specific Qualcomm Snapdragon Gen 8 Elite processor. This chipset significantly improves performance, bridging the gap with Apple’s A-series chips and providing ample power for demanding mobile games. Furthermore, a 40% larger vapor chamber, combined with a new Thermal Interface Material, aids in heat management, ensuring consistent performance over extended gaming sessions.

In short, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is a powerful device that excels in key areas for mobile gaming. The large, immersive display, top-tier processing power, excellent heat management, and long battery life make it an appealing option for Android gamers who also value the S Pen’s versatility and a premium overall smartphone experience.

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra ditches the Galaxy Note-like design entirely, replacing it with one that reflects the Galaxy S aesthetic found throughout the S25 line, though it is not an exact replica of those phones. Yes, it has a flat titanium band that wraps around the body, but the corners are slightly squarer than on the Galaxy S25 and Galaxy S25 Plus.

This phone is slightly taller than the S24 Ultra, measuring 162.8 x 77.6 x 8.2mm, but it is also narrower and thinner. It’s also significantly lighter, weighing 218 grams versus the S24 Ultra’s 232 grams.Despite the significant chassis alteration, there aren’t a lot of other design changes. The volume rocker and power/sleep/Gemini buttons are in the same relative positions, but Samsung moved the antenna cutout from that side to the top of the opposite edge.

The same USB-C charging and data port can be found on the bottom, as well as a wide slot for the base speaker (the other half of the loud and clear stereo speaker system is hidden in a channel at the top of the screen), the S Pen slot, and a SIM card slot. That last slot is notable because, while Apple’s iPhone line in the United States only supports eSIM, the S25 Ultra supports standard SIM, eSIM, and Dual-SIM.

4.Google Pixel 8 Pro

Last update on 2025-03-15 / Affiliate links/images from Amazon.

This is also Google’s most ambitious Pixel yet, with serious camera upgrades that will impress even pros and a Tensor G3 chipset designed specifically to run Google’s machine learning features.

Google is so confident in this phone’s performance that it promises an unprecedented seven years of major updates, which is longer than any other phone manufacturer’s support, with the exception of Samsung, which quickly copied Google’s move with the Galaxy S24 family. Apple provides only five years of major updates.

Google would have had a clear winner if it had just released a generic smartphone with the cameras, display, and design of the Pixel 8 Pro. This smartphone could have been used to argue against less-than-ideal models like the Apple iPhone 15 Pro or the Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus.

Rather, Google is venturing far into the realm of machine learning with generative AI capabilities that will provide novel experiences on your mobile device. The first Android phone to receive new AI features from Google is typically this one. Because of this, the Pixel 8 Pro is at the top of our very first list of the top AI phones.

Some of the new AI features, like the amazing new call-screening assistant, work wonderfully, and are set to become an enduring part of our smartphone experience. Others, like the Magic Editor photo features, border on frightening. Most are like AI wallpaper, simple distractions and additions that could have been an app you download, but instead are part of the AI experience.

This is a decidedly Android phone, for better but mostly, these days, for worse. It can be a confusing mess. You’re faced with setup screens that never seem to go away for good, notifications that never seem to disappear, and Settings menus that are layered deep enough to strike magma.

The good news is that Google has plenty of time to fix Android, and if it does, Pixel 8 Pro owners will benefit from those improvements for seven years. That’s if Google lives up to its promise.Indeed, this is excellent news. The news from the Android camp is actually among the best I’ve heard in a long time. The Pixel 8 Pro will be the first Android phone to outlast Apple in terms of longevity if Google fulfills its promise of seven years of significant OS updates, Pixel feature drops, and security updates.

In seven years, will the Pixel 8 Pro still be a worthwhile purchase? Definitely not, especially if you’re purchasing one today. However, the buyer of your Pixel 8 Pro will know they aren’t purchasing an unsupported lemon when it’s time to sell it in a year or two. They are purchasing a phone that may last for years for both them and perhaps a future owner.

The Pixel 8 Pro is an excellent option for your next phone if you’re firmly committed to Google’s dominance of the Android market. Google needs to catch up with iOS 17 in terms of software before I would suggest purchasing it over the iPhone 15 Pro, but if you can’t afford a really expensive foldable or the powerful Galaxy S24 Ultra, I would still recommend this phone because it’s entertaining and different enough.

5.Poco X7 Pro

Last update on 2025-03-15 / Affiliate links/images from Amazon.

The Chinese phone manufacturer Xiaomi, for some reason, doesn’t get as excited about its low-cost Poco phones as it does about its other low-cost Redmi phones. But the Poco X7 Pro is a fantastic illustration of why it ought to.

With a price that firmly places it in the cheap phone category—less than half that of a new iPhone—the Poco X7 Pro was released at the beginning of 2025 along with a non-Pro sibling (and some Redmi phones). Nevertheless, it has enough practical features that you might think about trading in your Samsung Galaxy S or Apple smartphone for this low-cost option. The Poco X7 Pro is excellent at feigning to be a high-end phone in all departments except the price.

The X7 Pro, like many other Pocophone phones, was built with power in mind. It boasts a processor that can rival many 2024 flagships, as well as a ton of RAM and storage. I found that the gaming experience was as fast and fluid here as it was on some of the top Android phones.

In addition to having more pixels than most Android phones and more nits (a measure of brightness), the display looks amazing. iPhone users will turn green from its brightness and color (and you’ll be able to tell which shade of green it is!).

You can rely on cheap phones to offer huge batteries but again, Poco has gone above and beyond with the X7 Pro, packing in a 6,000mAh battery. That’s one of the biggest power packs you’ll find on a phone that’s not designed for building sites or wilderness survival, and it’ll make sure the average user can text for days on end without needing a recharge.

The version of the Poco X7 Pro I tested also had a faux leather textured cladding which just adds points to the premium tally, however not all versions of the phone are like this. The green and black versions are just plastic.

Depending on the model you choose, the Poco X7 Pro may appear to be a generic Android phone or strangely resemble a race car.

The phone is available in green or black versions, which encase the device in a plastic frame. The more distinctive yellow-and-black model is also shown in the review photos. This version is definitely a unique look, and it reminds me of racing-themed mobiles like the Realme GT because it uses silicone polymer to create a textured faux leather feel. Additionally, it feels more upscale and slightly more manageable in the hand. However, you should probably choose the standard models if you feel that it’s a little too “extra.”

These versions weigh 195g (add 3g for yellow) and measure 160.75 x 75.24 x 8.29 (add 0.14mm to the latter version for the yellow option). A 3 gram and less than a millimeter difference is a very small weight and size difference.

Although I could hold my phone upright without assistance because of its flat edges, a curved-edge phone is more comfortable to hold in the hand. The USB-C port is on the bottom edge, and the power button and volume rocker are on the right.

You’ll be fine with the Poco X7 Pro because you have large hands, but those who have smaller hands should be aware that they probably won’t be able to reach the volume rocker—I couldn’t, and my fingers are about average length.

All phone models are IP68 certified, which shields you from dust intrusion and water immersion (for a brief period of time). I found the Poco X7 Pro to be fairly robust.

Best gaming phone FAQ

What makes a phone a gaming phone?

A gaming phone, as opposed to a gaming PC, frequently has the same hardware as a high-end non-gaming phone, such as a faster CPU or GPU. Better cooling is typically found in gaming phones, which improves performance over extended gaming sessions. Specialized software that maximizes performance while playing games is also included with gaming phones. In order to share your best gaming moments on your preferred social media sites or gaming networks, gaming phones also come with screen recording software.

Do I need a gaming phone to play games?

Your favorite Android and Apple Arcade games can be played on almost any decent phone. You can adjust settings on a gaming phone to enhance gameplay response, sound quality, or graphics. If you play a demanding game for an extended amount of time, gaming phones are less likely to overheat. All phones can be used with a standard Playstation, Xbox, or other Bluetooth gaming controller, but dedicated gaming phones also have virtual controller buttons on the side that simulate a game controller.

Do I need a controller for my gaming phone?

Gaming phones are especially good at helping you control your games, and dedicated gaming phones have software options, sensors, and even accessories that give you more control over your gaming, without an external controller. The Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro comes with a cooling fan that also includes programmable buttons for gaming.

That said, pairing your phone with an Xbox, Playstation, or other Bluetooth gaming controller is a great experience, and you may not know what you’re missing. Games often run more smoothly when you have a controller and don’t need to rely on finger swipes for motion and action. You Android phone and iPhone will recognize a controller and offer default controls for most games when you pair over Bluetooth.

Is the iPhone a good gaming phone?

Given that Apple TV games are essentially iPhone games, the iPhone is a very good gaming phone and might even be Apple’s best gaming platform overall. Because Apple’s processors have long outperformed all Android phones until recently, the iPhone has incredible performance regardless of the model you own. Apple provides a subscription service called Apple Arcade that includes some unique games. The Apple App Store now offers emulator apps as well, but in order to use them, you’ll need to copy the ROMs from your old cartridges.