Mobile gaming has come a long way in recent years, with console-quality titles regularly appearing on the Play Store, and new chipsets capable of emulating a large portion of my Steam library. I’ve tested countless games and phones (not to mention dedicated Android gaming handhelds), and I’ve honed in on what separates the best from the rest when it comes to mobile gaming. Depending on what you’re looking for, the options below represent the top gaming phones I recommend in 2026.
REDMAGIC 11 Pro: The best gaming phone overall REDMAGIC 11 Pro Incredible power • Liquid cooling • Shoulder triggers MSRP: $749.00 The most powerful gaming handheld at an unbeatable price. With liquid cooling, the most powerful chipset on the market, and a host of unique gaming features, the REDMAGIC 11 Pro is the ultimate gaming companion. See price at Red Magic Positives Incredible power
Incredible power Liquid cooling
Liquid cooling Shoulder triggers Cons Middling cameras
Middling cameras Poor update commitment
Poor update commitment Still runs hot If you want the best performing gaming phone on the market, look no further than the REDMAGIC 11 Pro. I was blown away by the performance on the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, and it’s the only phone I’ve tested so far that can handle the thermal load of Qualcomm’s latest chipset. The realme GT8 Pro provided wildly inconsistent results under stress, and the OnePlus 15 simply shut down in the middle of our benchmark test (although this was fixed in later updates). The killer feature here is liquid cooling, which is visible on the back of the device. Combined with two massive (and loud) fans and a large vapor chamber, it manages to keep the device just cool enough to prevent a shutdown. Don’t get me wrong, it runs very hot, reaching peak temperatures of 56.0°C in my testing. Flipping on Game Mode via the physical switch kept things a little cooler at the expense of performance, but it’s probably a worthwhile tradeoff for most games. That Game Mode has plenty of other unique features, too. Called Plugins, they enable everything from forced aspect ratios to on-screen counters and reticle zooming. There’s also plenty of AI coaching tools in there, although you’ll very quickly outgrow their usefulness after playing a game for a few hours. Being a gaming phone, it also has physical triggers, a 6.8-inch 144Hz OLED screen, RGB lights, and the full “Gamer” aesthetic. There’s even a built-in AI waifu companion if you want to go full otaku without shelling out for Razer’s standalone version. The REDMAGIC 11 Pro outperforms every other smartphone, regardless of the price. While I wasn’t surprised by how well it performed in-game, I was surprised by how comfortable it was to use. The sharp edges of its predecessor have been smoothed out, so it feels better in the hand. The triggers also mean I didn’t need a controller to play my favorite games, although an external cooler is a necessity for demanding titles. The bad news is that the cameras and overall software experience are still pretty bad compared to most mainstream smartphones. It will also only see two years of software updates, but if you really want the best performance at all times, you’ll probably upgrade before then anyway. Plus, it’s hundreds of dollars cheaper than most flagship phones, so it won’t hurt as badly when it’s time to make the switch. Nick Fernandez / Android Authority Read more
ASUS ROG Phone 9 and 9 Pro: The best last-gen gaming phone ASUS ROG Phone 9 Overkill performance • Outstanding battery life • Fast, universal charging MSRP: $999.99 Gaming machine. The ROG Phone 9 brings all the incredible Snapdragon 8 Elite-powered performance, stellar battery life, and gaming features as the Pro version, but for a little bit less. See price at WalmartSee price at AsusSee price at Amazon Positives Overkill performance
Overkill performance Outstanding battery life
Outstanding battery life Fast, universal charging
Fast, universal charging Super-stable video
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