Gaming phones are phones that are built minding the needs of mobile phone gamers. This kind of device first needs a good chipset. A chipset is the main energy source of the phone. Not just for gaming but also for the overall performance factor, the chipset is “The Most Important” hardware to look at.

If you are on a low budget you should at least start with a MediaTek Helio G88, G85 or G80 chipset. Another important thing is the amount of RAM. You need a minimum of 4 GB RAM, better if you can get 6 or even 8 GB of built-in RAM. Yes, we are not talking about Virtual Memory or Extended RAM. It’s kind of a nice support but it’s really minimum.

If you have a bit more budget then look for a Helio G90 series chipset (the best one is Helio G99) or a Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 4G. Helio G99 (Nanoreview gaming score 22) is way better than than Snapdragon 680 4G (Nanoreview gaming score 16) chipset.

Now, these are all lower-budget to mid-range chipsets. The top gaming chipset as of September 2023 is the Apple iPhone 15 Pro series’s Apple A17 Pro chipset. Then there is MediaTek Dimensity 9200 Plus, Apple A16 Bionic, Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 and so on.

You also want stable and optimized software quality for good gaming performance. Therefore, it’s usually better to go for a recognized brand. The latest version of the OS and UI helps a lot as well. Then, you want a good display quality (Full HD+ or higher is recommended), strong battery backup, high fast charging, a good cooling system and a nice design as well fitting with the gaming personality. You need a fast internet connection as well since a lot of games are online multiplayer-based or require an internet connection for other reasons.