Best gaming phone 2019
Gaming on a smartphone is more popular than ever. Here are the best gaming phones and where to buy them.
Gaming on phones has been a thing ever since we all first booted up our Nokia 3310s for hours on Snake, before our iPhones became clogged with hours of Candy Crush Saga. But increasingly smartphones are becoming viable gaming devices alongside home consoles and these are the best ones you can buy.
Such is the power of modern smartphones. Gaming sensations like Fortnite and PUBG can thank their mobile platform and portability for ridiculous run-away success. And it’s no wonder considering the power inside the best smartphones around.
While the latest Apple and Samsung phones are capable of running the most demanding mobile games, the market is so popular that there are also dedicated gaming phones like the Asus ROG Phone, Razer Phone and Xiaomi Black Shark. Since there are only a handful like this, we've also included the odd 'normal' phones that also offer a good gaming experience.
Do you need all the highest specs?
These phones often have specialised hardware or even sometimes clip on controllers to help you game better. Internals often have boosts in RAM or the most powerful CPU or GPU to help the phone keep up. A couple even have liquid cooling.
Specs are pretty important if you want to game to the highest level on a phone, but it does depend on which games you want to run smoothly. If you are more into arcade or puzzle games then you might not need to splash out on a high-end gaming phone.
Below are our recommend best phones for gaming. Take some time to consider which has the best features at the best price for you, for the games you want to be able to run.
Best gaming phone 2019
1. Asus ROG Phone 2
The Asus ROG Phone 2 is the best gaming phone we've tested to date. Okay, it doesn't have mass appeal but that's not the aim here.
Gaming is the priority here and Asus has taken the already decent original and made it even better. This second gen device gets a 120Hz screen, huge 6000mAh battery, improved performance and more. All of this at a price cheaper than big name flagships.
They're not related to gaming, but even the cameras are pretty great which is unusual for a gaming phone. We can only really complain about the size and weight, but that's not so applicable in the gaming sector.
2. Red Magic 3S
The Red Magic 3S has built on the success of its predecessor to provide an almost complete mobile gaming experience.
The 90Hz display is a joy to use, while front-facing stereo speakers and a dedicated gaming mode are all too rare on modern handsets.
However, there are a few areas where it is lacking, most notably in a disappointing implementation of cameras and thick bezels. Having tested the Red Magic 3, we were hoping for more of an upgrade in these areas.
At this price point, it is far more affordable than the other dedicated gaming handsets, including the Asus ROG Phone 2 and the Razer Phone 2.
If you haven't owned a gaming phone before, the slick and polished UI on the Red Magic 3S provides a truly memorable mobile experience.
3. Black Shark 2
We’re impressed by what the Black Shark 2 offers gamers, with impressive specs, innovative gaming-focused tech and a very affordable price tag, but there are a few niggles that stop it from being the best.
The gaming experience is premium, sporting powerful internals, industry-leading cooling tech and a range of accessories to enhance performance, but unlike most other gaming phones, the Black Shark 2 is capped at 60Hz, half that of the Razer Phone 2. It’s also worth noting that the gaming accessories are sold separately, and they’re not the cheapest accessories we’ve seen either.
However, it’s little issues with the Black Shark 2 that bring the overall experience down, including a rather dim display, hit-and-miss controller design and a camera setup that has admittedly been improved, but is still not quite up to the standards set by other 2019 flagships, or even other mid-range phones.