Almost any phone can run popular free-to-play titles like Angry Birds or Subway Surfers, but for the more graphically demanding, you’ll need one of the best Android phones for games. Some of the best Android games are PC or console ports that are significantly better with more powerful CPUs, RAM, and faster display, even in their downgraded state-run state-run.
Hz. These games also drain batteries faster and take up enough storage that you may need a microSD card slot to fit them all. Add in-game streaming services like Google Stadia and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate (Microsoft Project xCloud), and you have every reason to ensure your next phone can handle it all in stride. We think the Galaxy S21 Ultra is the best overall gaming phone, but if that doesn’t strike your fancy or is out of your price range, there are plenty of other options worth considering. Here are some of the best Android phones for gamers.
Best Overall: Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
Samsung’s annual offerings continue to push the limits of what we expect from smartphones, which extends well into mobile gaming. The new S21 lineup is among the most powerful we’ve ever seen, with the Galaxy S21 Ultra taking the crown for best Android phone for gaming.
Powering your games is some of the best silicon in the business. All S21 phones contain the Snapdragon 888, which reportedly shows a 25% uptick in CPU performance and a vast 35% uptick in GPU compared to the Snapdragon 865 found in the Galaxy S20s. The Snapdragon 888 benchmarks outstrip any other chip in multi-core CPU performance and only loses to the iPhone 12 in GPU performance.
Beyond the chipset, the S21 Ultra beats its siblings’ hardware specs by most other gaming metrics. It has the highest pixels per inch (ppi) at 515, plus the most extensive display at 6.8 inches. It’s the only phone of the three that can be upgraded from 8GB to 12GB or 16GB of memory. We’ll also note that the S21 lineup rudely removed expandable storage; since the Ultra is the only model offering 512GB of internal storage, it’s your best bet for fitting many games simultaneously.
We were most excited to note that the Galaxy S21 Ultra supports Quad HD+ resolution at 120Hz variable refresh rate simultaneously at up to 1500 nits of brightness. Other Samsung phones offer better graphics or frames, but not at all. Our Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra review noted that this mode is a battery killer but looks fantastic enough to be worth it. Plus, the giant-sized 5000mAh battery does its best to keep up. You may prefer the Galaxy S21 for the lower price and lighter, easier-to-hold frame, and it will easily handle high-res graphics or fast-paced shooters. The Ultra has our vote for more dedicated smartphone gamers with cash to spare.
