Best Phones for Gaming in 2025: Top Picks for Power and Performance
Mobile gaming was a significant battlefield in the day, and the change in 2025 is that the game is more immersive, demanding, and competitive.
Regardless of whether you're a fan of quick action shooters, extroverted open-world adventures, or vintage arcade titles, the provision of the right phone will most certainly boost your gaming experience.
That said, with the improved chipsets, high refresh rate displays, and advanced cooling systems, a group of smartphones has joined the big league of portable gaming consoles.
Here are the best phones for gaming in 2025, ranked according to their performance, display quality, battery life, and other features suitable for gaming users:
1. ASUS ROG Phone 8 Pro – The Ultimate Gaming Machine
In 2025, the ASUS ROG Phone 8 Pro is still considered the king of the hill in the mobile gaming arena. Created with gamers in mind, this device is empowered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, up to 24GB of RAM, and a 165Hz AMOLED display for razor-sharp images. The display also features HDR10+ and touch sampling rates of over 720Hz that make your reaction to in-game events lightning swift and pinpoint.
One of the coolest things about this product is its advanced cooling system. To be more precise, the combination of ASUS's new-generation vapor chamber technology and the AeroActive Cooler accessories ensures that the phone runs at a normal temperature even after continuous gaming.
Last but not least, the massive 5500mAh battery is enough to play a game for hours, and 65W wired charging allows charging to be done without slowing down or even getting hot.
2. RedMagic 9 Pro+ – Unbeatable Performance at the Best Price
In 2025, RedMagic 9 Pro+ will not fail to continue with its amazing features and at a somewhat affordable price, it has promised exceptional gaming performance to its audience. The unchanged feature it has from the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip makes it possible to have powerful specs at a lower cost.
The 6.8" AMOLED display provides a smooth and colorful vision with a refresh rate of 165Hz. The phone's built-in fan cooling system keeps it stable, and there is always an available shoulder trigger with a custom controller for games.
Interestingly, many players who enjoy casual games or pokies online appreciate the RedMagic 9 Pro+ not only for its power but also for its immersive sound system and vivid screen that enhance even simpler gaming formats. It’s a top choice whether you're grinding ranked matches or spinning reels during your downtime.
Another standout feature is the 6500mAh battery with 80W fast charging, meaning you’ll rarely need to worry about downtime.
3. iPhone 15 Pro Max (and soon iPhone 16 Pro) – Apple’s New Gaming Flagship
Although Apple has not positioned the iPhone as a game console, the iPhone 15 Pro Max still reigned supreme with the A17 Pro processor, which is one of the highest-capacity mobile ATUs of the time.
The display of the 6.7-inch Super Retina XDR, equipped with ProMotion 120Hz technology, is a feast for the eyes in its quality and fluidity of videos and games. The latest games, and, on top of that, additional, however limited, Apple Arcade games, let it grace itself as being the most sought-after pick by gamers on the go.
Despite not having any active cooling or gaming triggers installed, the iOS device is highly optimized, so the games run much more smoothly and crash and stutter less than the Android ones. The battery is quite big, and since the chip is so energy-efficient, you will get less heat and faster hardware performance even in the case of long gaming sessions.
4. Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra – A Flagship That Doubles as a Gaming Powerhouse
The marketing of the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra might give you the impression that productivity is at stake, but it is not so. The fact of the matter is that this phone is a monster as far as gaming is concerned. Having the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, a maximum of 12GB RAM on board, and a QHD+ AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, the phone can run the most demanding titles without a hitch.
Additionally, the phone is equipped with very efficient cooling methods, a humongous 5000mAh battery, and Vision Booster technology that enhances the display visibility during very bright situations. Thus, it offers an everlasting quality of gameplay in the great outdoors. The screen size and level of detail will allow even the most intricate games to be played with ease.
While the Galaxy S24 Ultra can provide comfort and amusement for gaming purposes, it can also be the perfect all-in-one device for several other applications and uses. Its bigger and better screen would be ideal for a heavy user in this area.
5. OnePlus 12 – Smooth and Stylish Gaming Performance
The OnePlus 12 is a high-performance phone without a high price. It is powered by the same Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip, which provides unparalleled frame rates for games such as Genshin Impact, Call of Duty Mobile, and PUBG.
Its 6.82” AMOLED display has a 120Hz refresh rate and very high color accuracy. Memory, it doesn’t have virtual controls or a cooling fan, yet, it does the cooling efficiently and has gaming features such as the performance mode and the customization for the haptic of a FPS.
The device, with a 5400mAh battery and 100W fast charging, is a great go-to device when power failure is not an option. It has a perfectly balanced combination of good looks, high performance, and affordability.
