The Ultimate Guide To The Best Gaming Phones Of 2023

As more people stay indoors for quarantine, more people are hopping on the train of mobile gaming. Some of the most popular mobile games include Fortnite, Call of Duty, Pokemon Go, and more. There are so many games that cater to different interests. For the best gaming experience, it’s ideal to invest in one of the best gaming phones of 2023.

Asus ROG Phone 3 ZS661KS – Best Gaming Phones

This is a good purchase because it works excellently as a normal smartphone while being one of the best gaming phones. Asus is a well-known brand in the world of computers, but Asus has extended to smartphones as well. This is the third generation of smartphones from their line, hence aptly named ROG Phone 3.

You’ll immediately notice its sleek and simple display. This comes with a transparent cooling chamber and fewer sharp lines compared to the previous models. The signature illuminated logo is still present at the back. It provides a remarkable accent to improve the overall look of the phone.

Specs:

• Dimensions: 171 x 78 x 9.9 mm (6.73 x 3.07 x 0.39 in)
• Weight: 240 g (8.47 oz)
• Build: Glass front (Gorilla Glass 6), glass back (Gorilla Glass 3), aluminum frame
• Sim: Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by)
• Type: AMOLED capacitive touchscreen, 1B colors
• Size: 6.59 inches, 106.6 cm2 (~79.9% screen-to-body ratio)
• CPU: Octa-core (1×3.1 GHz Kryo 585 & 3×2.42 GHz Kryo 585 & 4×1.8 GHz Kryo 585)
• GPU: Adreno 650

Pros:

• Excellent performance
• Superfast 144Hz display
• Powerful 6000mAh battery
• Has smart air triggers and other smart features
• Simple and user-friendly interface
• High-quality cameras
• Comes with 2 USB-C ports for optimal charging angles.
• No more low battery problems!

Cons:

• Reported instances of inconsistent battery life
• Can get quite hot after using for a while
• Wireless charging is unavailable
• No IP rating available

iPhone 11 Pro Max – Best Gaming Phones

It goes without saying that Apple products will always have a contender in terms of high-powered gadgets. The iPhone 11 Pro Max was released last year and it has proven to be stellar in different smartphone standards. It also passes off as one of the best gaming phones.

The fantastic screen is conducive to gaming. It has a 6.5-inch super retina XDR OLED screen which can achieve a contrast ratio of 2, 000, 000: 1. Such powerful and bright screens must be backed up by an equally powerful battery. This model’s battery has a capacity of up to 3696 mAh. It is perfect for gaming because of its faster GPU and CPU performance thanks to the innovative A13 Bionic chip. It also supports a vast game ecosystem. You can experience easier game optimization through the Apple operating system as well as through a subscription to the Apple Arcade.

Specs:

• Dimensions: 158 x 77.8 x 8.1 mm (6.22 x 3.06 x 0.32 in)
• Weight: 226 g (7.97 oz)
• Build: Glass front (Gorilla Glass), glass back (Gorilla Glass), stainless steel frame
• Sim: Single SIM (Nano-SIM and/or eSIM)
• Type: Super Retina XDR OLED capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
• Size: 6.5 inches, 102.9 cm2 (~83.7% screen-to-body ratio)
• OS: iOS 13, upgradable to iOS 14
• Chipset: Apple A13 Bionic (7 nm+)
• CPU: Hexa-core (2×2.65 GHz Lightning + 4×1.8 GHz Thunder)
• GPU: Apple GPU (4-core graphics)

Pros:

• Tougher build
• Waterproof design
• Apple A13 Bionic is the fastest one there is
• Fast charging is available
• Excellent battery life
• High-class stereo quality for an improved gaming experience
• Excellent camera quality

Cons:

• Enormous notch
• No 3.5mm jack for your earphones
• Difficult file transfer and management
• The wide camera doesn’t have night mode or autofocus
• Very expensive for a gaming phone

iPhone 11 – Best Gaming Phones

This is very similar to the iPhone 11 Pro Max, with a couple of downgrades that come with its considerably more affordable price tag. This is likewise equipped with the latest and most powerful A13 Bionic chip. Go for this for a significant upgrade from the iPhone XR.

Specs:

• Dimensions: 158 x 77.8 x 8.1 mm (6.22 x 3.06 x 0.32 in)
• Weight: 226 g (7.97 oz)
• Build: Glass front (Gorilla Glass), glass back (Gorilla Glass), stainless steel frame
• Sim: Single SIM (Nano-SIM and/or eSIM)
• Type: Super Retina XDR OLED capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
• Size: 6.5 inches, 102.9 cm2 (~83.7% screen-to-body ratio)
• OS: iOS 13, upgradable to iOS 14
• Chipset: Apple A13 Bionic (7 nm+)
• CPU: Hexa-core (2×2.65 GHz Lightning + 4×1.8 GHz Thunder)
• GPU: Apple GPU (4-core graphics)

Pros:

• Tougher build
• Water-resistant build
• The screen has excellent contrast and brightness for better gaming graphics
• Excellent battery life
• Fast charging is available
• Can provide a very smooth gaming experience
• Excellent stereo quality
• Very smooth user experience
• Top-notch camera quality

Cons:

• Notches and bezels are too big
• No 3.5mm jack for audio input
• File management and transfer system is unnecessarily complicated
• It’s a cheap iPhone but still an expensive phone.

OnePlus 7T – Best Gaming Phones

This is deemed to be the best midrange gaming phone in the market. This new phone looks much like its previous installment OnePlus 7, with the exception of being slightly taller and a wider screen. The extra screen real estate makes all the difference in improving your gaming experience.

This is an excellent gaming phone because it upholds the OnePlus motto: “fast and smooth.” The Oxygen OS is streamlined and minimal. It’s responsible for the smooth phone response and speedy operation, which makes this phone perfectly able for gaming.

Specs:

• Dimensions: 160.9 x 74.4 x 8.1 mm (6.33 x 2.93 x 0.32 in)
• Weight: 190 g (6.70 oz)
• Build: Glass front (Gorilla Glass 5), glass back (Gorilla Glass 5), aluminum frame
• Sim: Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by)
• Size: 6.55 inches, 103.6 cm2 (~86.5% screen-to-body ratio)
• OS: Android 10, OxygenOS 10.0.7
• Chipset: Qualcomm SM8150 Snapdragon 855+ (7 nm)
• CPU: Octa-core (1×2.96 GHz Kryo 485 & 3×2.42 GHz Kryo 485 & 4×1.78 GHz Kryo 485)
• GPU: Adreno 640 (700 MHz)

Pros:

• A brilliant display of 90 Hz
• Excellent cameras
• Easy and wonderful user interface
• Excellent storage performance and storage speed
• Comes with a fast-charging option
• Affordable

Cons:

• Battery life is not that great
• Doesn’t come with a headphone jack
• There’s no available official IP rating
• Doesn’t support wireless charging

Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro – Best Gaming Phones

For the past few years, Xiaomi has risen to the top of the list of reputable brands for gaming phones. The company is now at the level of brands like Razer. This unit ticks off all the boxes when it comes to a good gaming phone: powerful build, excellent processor power, and a huge, responsive display.

This gives a console-like feel that makes it perfect for most games. It delivers games in a fun and tactile manner without any lagging whatsoever. This unit is highly commendable as an Android gaming device.

Specs:

• Dimensions: 177.8 x 83.3 x 10.1 mm (7.00 x 3.28 x 0.40 in)
• Weight: 253 g (8.92 oz)
• Build: Glass front, aluminum back, aluminum frame
• Sim: Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by)
• Type: AMOLED capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
• Size: 7.1 inches, 123.7 cm2 (~83.6% screen-to-body ratio)
• OS: Android 10
• Chipset: Qualcomm SM8250 Snapdragon 865 (7 nm+)
• CPU: Octa-core (1×2.84 GHz Kryo 585 & 3×2.42 GHz Kryo 585 & 4×1.80 GHz Kryo 585)
• GPU: Adreno 650

Pros:

• A great and wider screen
• Good overall value
• One of the best Android units for gaming
• Loaded with so many gaming features

Cons:

• The design is not the best
• Not very durable
• No formal IP rating

Realme 6 Pro – Best Gaming Phones

The RealMe 6 Pro is another excellent choice among mid-range gaming phones. It comes with the competent Snapdragon 720G processor. Overall, the phone feels excellent to the touch. It is ergonomically designed so that you can grip it for hours on end without feeling any hand strains.

Because of its specs and features, this is deemed as a worthy contender for Xiaomi gaming models. This is very versatile so it can perform well as a regular smartphone and an innovative gaming phone.

Specs:

• Dimensions: 163.8 x 75.8 x 8.9 mm (6.45 x 2.98 x 0.35 in)
• Weight: 202 g (7.13 oz)
• Build: Glass front (Gorilla Glass 5), glass back, plastic frame
• Sim: Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by)
• Type: IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
• Size: 6.6 inches, 105.2 cm2 (~84.7% screen-to-body ratio)
• OS: Android 10, Realme UI
• Chipset: Qualcomm SM7125 Snapdragon 720G (8 nm)
• CPU: Octa-core (2×2.3 GHz Kryo 465 Gold & 6×1.8 GHz Kryo 465 Silver)
• GPU: Adreno 618

Pros:

• Provides the user with a fluid experience
• No lagging and provides seamless gaming
• Remarkable 90 Hz screen with excellent brightness and contrast
• Beautiful and stunning design
• Stellar camera performance for both front and rear cameras – Best Gaming Phones

Cons:

• The Snapdragon 720G isn’t the best processor in the market
• Rear camera will need some tuning
• Not necessarily affordable considering the value it provides

Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra –

The first feature you’ll notice about this unit is its big screen. There’s so much screen real estate that you’ll definitely have a great time playing all sorts of games. It comes with a powerful processor at a hefty price point but it definitely redeems itself with its competence as a gaming phone.

Specs:

• Dimensions: 164.8 x 77.2 x 8.1 mm (6.49 x 3.04 x 0.32 in)
• Weight: 208 g (7.34 oz)
• Build: Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus), stainless steel frame
• Sim: Single SIM
• Type: Dynamic AMOLED 2X capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
• Size: 6.9 inches, 116.7 cm2 (~91.7% screen-to-body ratio)
• OS: Android 10, One UI 2.5
• Chipset: Exynos 990 (7 nm+) – Global
• CPU: Octa-core (2×2.73 GHz Mongoose M5 & 2×2.50 GHz Cortex-A76 & 4×2.0 GHz Cortex-A55) – Global
• GPU: Mali-G77 MP11 – Global

Pros:

• Beautiful and powerful 6.9-inch 120 Hz display
• Very smooth writing performance with the S Pen
• Capable of streaming Xbox games
• Excellent camera
• Great battery life, perfect for long hours of gaming

Cons:

• Quite expensive
• S Pen doesn’t have extensive application for a gaming
• The camera bump is quite big. It can be distracting during games
• The curved display may be annoying and unhelpful for gaming

OnePlus 8 Ultra – Best Gaming Phones

When it comes to affordable Android phones, this one takes the cake. It has an affordable price tag accompanied by a competent performance. This is a sleek phone with unique waterfall display edges. There’s a punch-hole for the front camera. This operates on Snapdragon 865 and has up to 12GB of RAM which makes it competent as a gaming phone. This is also the cheapest 5G smartphone as of today.

Specs:

• Dimensions: 160.9 x 74.4 x 8.1 mm (6.33 x 2.93 x 0.32 in)
• Weight: 190 g (6.70 oz)
• Build: Glass front (Gorilla Glass 5), glass back (Gorilla Glass 5), aluminum frame
• Sim: Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by)
• Size: 6.55 inches, 103.6 cm2 (~86.5% screen-to-body ratio)
• OS: Android 10, OxygenOS 10.0.7
• Chipset: Qualcomm SM8150 Snapdragon 855+ (7 nm)
• CPU: Octa-core (1×2.96 GHz Kryo 485 & 3×2.42 GHz Kryo 485 & 4×1.78 GHz Kryo 485)
• GPU: Adreno 640 (700 MHz)

Pros:

• Affordable 5G connectivity, perfect for online gaming
• Excellent and impressive specs at a cheap price
• Big 4300 mAh battery for hours of uninterrupted gaming

Cons:

• Doesn’t have telephoto camera
• Does not support wireless charging which may make gaming exhausting
• It’s more expensive than its cheaper and almost equally competent predecessor

Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus – Best Gaming Phones

Here’s another excellent gaming phone contender from the global brand Samsung. This unit is slightly more affordable compared to its predecessors. You can use it if you want a balance between a reliable smartphone and an excellent gaming phone. It operates with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 with up to 128 GB of storage.

Specs:

• Dimensions: 164.8 x 77.2 x 8.1 mm (6.49 x 3.04 x 0.32 in)
• Weight: 208 g (7.34 oz)
• Build: Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus), stainless steel frame
• Sim: Single SIM
• Type: Dynamic AMOLED 2X capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
• Size: 6.9 inches, 116.7 cm2 (~91.7% screen-to-body ratio)
• OS: Android 10, One UI 2.5
• Chipset: Exynos 990 (7 nm+) – Global
• CPU: Octa-core (2×2.73 GHz Mongoose M5 & 2×2.50 GHz Cortex-A76 & 4×2.0 GHz Cortex-A55) – Global
• GPU: Mali-G77 MP11 – Global

Pros:

• Has a bright and crisp display for an immersive gaming experience
• Excellent performance due to high specs
• Battery life can last an entire day
• Cameras are very versatile
• The software can be customized to your needs

Cons:

• One of the more expensive gaming phones
• Fingerprint sensor is unreliable
• No headphone nor microphone jack
• 8K video is not that stellar
• Design is somewhat boring

Motorola Edge – Best Gaming Phones

Motorola finally caught up in the race of gaming phones and high-powered smartphones. This appears to be an excellent mid-range phone that you can easily mistake for a premium one. This unit is very much likened to another gaming phone – the Xiaomi Mi Note 10.

Specs:

• Dimensions: 161.1 x 71.4 x 9.6 mm (6.34 x 2.81 x 0.38 in)
• Weight: 203 g (7.16 oz)
• Build: Glass front (Gorilla Glass 5), aluminum frame
• Sim: Nano-SIM
• OS: Android 10
• Chipset: Qualcomm SM8250 Snapdragon 865 (7 nm+)
• CPU: Octa-core (1×2.84 GHz Kryo 585 & 3×2.42 GHz Kryo 585 & 4×1.8 GHz Kryo 585)
• GPU: Adreno 650

Pros:

• Feels great in the hand. You can play for hours and feel no strain
• Excellent battery life
• Can handle a wide range of games

Cons:

• Cameras aren’t the best
• Fingerprint sensor isn’t very reliable
• Curved screen functionality is not always suitable for gaming.

Final Thoughts

There are so many premium gaming phones available on the market. The vast price range makes it possible for anyone to participate in competitive mobile gaming. Investing in these pieces will make your gaming experience fun and worthwhile.

More than the gaming feature, it’s a smarter choice to purchase a phone that’s equally competent as a normal smartphone. The aforementioned pieces are definitely versatile and multifunctional enough.

And if you want better and more gaming equipment to satisfy your more advanced gaming needs, you might want to consider gaming laptops or even more advanced and powerful gaming PCs that will give you the full enhanced experience of gaming.

FAQs About the Best Gaming Phones of 2023

Conclusion

The best gaming phones of 2023 combine powerful specifications, high-refresh-rate displays, and unique features to provide gamers with an immersive and enjoyable gaming experience. Whether you’re looking for overall performance, value options, or premium quality, there are various models available to cater to different budgets and preferences. From gaming-specific phones like the Asus ROG Phone 7 Ultimate to mainstream options like the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, these phones offer seamless gameplay, smooth graphics, and enhanced cooling mechanisms to ensure optimal performance during gaming sessions.

Still have questions? Contact us at www.techsngames.com today!