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The best gaming tablets have the ultimate say when it comes to gaming on the go. Okay, I’ll confess it: the best gaming phones are far more portable. Tablets, on the other hand, get the award for having a considerably larger screen, a longer battery life, and more computing power. And, let’s face it, squinting at your phone’s activity and straining to understand what’s going on gets old fast. Real fast.
Finding the best gaming tablet for you is the difficult part. After all, there are lots of options. These days, everyone seems to be manufacturing tablets, and many of them appear to be almost identical at first sight.
That’s when I enter the picture. The recommendations below will help you get through anything from Call of Duty Mobile to Apple Arcade, not to mention, all of your everyday tasks.
Oh, and there’s one more thing. Considering a tablet that isn’t an Apple product? Don’t forget to get the best antivirus software. It will help protect and safeguard your tablet.
FACTORS TO CONSIDER BEFORE BUYING A GAMING TABLET:
Here are just a few things to consider when purchasing a new gaming tablet, ranging from the amount of RAM to the screen size and resolution:
RAM:
The more RAM on a tablet (together with the more RAM cycles in MHz), the better your CPU will perform, just like it does on a computer. RAM and CPU work together, so don’t go all-out on one while neglecting the other. Consider RAM to be what handles short-term activities such as keeping several apps open without losing your position, whereas the CPU is in charge of the speed with which those applications are launched and executed, as well as the long-term memory you’ll require in a regularly used device.
REFRESH RATE:
Though it appears to us as though there is no break in the image, displays update with new images every second — this is known as the refresh rate. It’s a quick process, and even a low to middling refresh rate of 60Hz (meaning it refreshes 60 times per second) is plenty for the average tablet gamer. A refresh rate of 120–144Hz is considerably better, and anything beyond that is more than adequate for the usual tablet gamer. A fast refresh rate implies less “screen tearing,” which occurs when the video feed on a tablet is out of sync with the display, resulting in numerous frames on a single screen.
PROCESSING SPEEDS:
The central processing unit, or CPU, is in charge of everything and maintains numerous multimedia programs operating properly. The more cores a CPU has, the more you’ll be able to multitask without latency or choppiness, such as listening to music while playing your favorite game. While quad-core CPUs were popular a few years ago, many tablets today have octa-core processors that can handle several instructions at once.
RESOLUTION:
The amount of pixels that can be seen on a screen is referred to as resolution, and the bigger the pixel count, the better the image quality. This is one of the most common dimensions seen on all tablets, and 4K Ultra HD is fast becoming the standard.
SCREEN SIZE:
Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that bigger is always better. While a tablet’s big screen may appear to be ideal for gaming, its poor resolution will have a significant impact on visual quality. Stick to a proportionate screen size: one that’s large enough to satisfy your gaming demands, has a balanced resolution quality, and is within your budget. Plus, even with a large screen, be wary of bezels, which can reduce the size of your screen if they’re too thick and intrusive.
SOUND:
Good sound from a tablet’s built-in speakers is a crucial aspect of your gaming experience, especially if you won’t be utilizing headphones. The tiny speakers within a tablet may also house some very strong drivers, allowing users to upgrade from the tinny and too-soft sound of previous generations to booming Dolby with excellent bass. There aren’t just one or two speakers inside, though; some have four or five, all meticulously placed to complement your overall gaming experience. If you’ll be playing multiplayer, the same goes for mics. It’s hardly a fair comparison to compare them to large freestanding surround speakers, but tablets’ sound has gone a long way in terms of size and power.
Bearing these points in mind, let’s get down to the specific:
BEST GAMING TABLETS:
OVERALL BEST GAMING TABLET -APPLE IPAD PRO:
Whether it’s an online multiplayer game or a heavyweight offline game, the iPad Pro has the best hardware for any tablet game. While this latest-generation Pro series would be a very pricey gaming machine, you can expect top-notch performance that is still unrivaled in the tablet industry — and I’m not kidding. With plenty of RAM and storage choices for installing large games, I’m confident you’ll enjoy a smooth gaming experience.
You can’t deny the fact that Apple’s App Store offers a far larger variety of games that are well-suited to its tablet lineup. Furthermore, with an Arcade membership, the iPad allows you to play a variety of premium games for a single monthly cost. If there’s one iPad designed to take use of all of this to its full potential, it’s the iPad Pro.
However, performance is only one component of gaming; numerous other factors influence your total enjoyment. Apple’s high-end models, thankfully, have arguably of the best-tuned LCDs on the market, and their 11- and 12.9-inch screen sizes should satisfy everyone’s demands. These tablets also include a quad-speaker system that provides both clear and powerful audio. Instead of using headphones or external speakers, you’ll frequently find yourself using the built-in speakers.
You can’t purchase an iPad Pro solely for gaming at that price — you’d be better off spending that sort of money on a dedicated gaming setup or console. You should only consider purchasing the Pro if your major usage will be something else, such as office work, and you want to game on it in your spare time.
BEST ANDROID GAMING TABLET -SAMSUNG GALAXY TAB S6:
The Galaxy Tab S6 was the spark for Samsung’s tablet design revamp, and it even prompted a follow-up. So, at least for the next couple of years, you won’t feel like you’re using an older-generation tablet. That doesn’t simply relate to its appearance; it also applies to every other element of the tablet.
Samsung just took a huge step forward in the software sector by extending software support for older devices to three years. That’s great news for your tablet’s longevity while also guaranteeing that it looks and feels new for years to come.
The Tab S6 will have enough performance headroom to handle most programs, including intensive games, even after it has completed its usual life cycle, thanks to the adoption of a top-tier Snapdragon 855 CPU. In my testing, the Galaxy Tab S6 handled popular titles like Fortnite and PUBG Mobile perfectly. It’s also ideal for casual gamers who use their tablets to work throughout the day and then play a little before going to bed.
The Tab S6 features the same fantastic AMOLED display that Samsung has always been known for. This 2019 tablet outperforms last year’s Tab S7 in this aspect, however you won’t have the option for a high refresh rate. What you do receive, though, is an AKG-tuned quad stereo speaker system that provides fantastic sound.
You may expect the Tab S6 to do a variety of tasks at home and at work. It’s a wonderful media player, and you can use the kickstand attachment to transform it into a device for business video calls or do some work with the keyboard adapter. The S Pen on this tablet has also been improved by Samsung, and it works well.
BEST WINDOWS GAMING TABLET -LENOVO FLEX 14:
The Lenovo Flex 14 is a convertible laptop that falls between between a cheap and a high-end gadget. The design is elegant and functional, and the ports are sufficient to connect most external devices and displays. There are better gaming choices, but Windows’ flexibility will allow you to do more than simply play games.
The Lenovo Flex 14 appears to be well-made from an aesthetic standpoint. The chassis is composed of polycarbonate, which does not give the impression of being cheap. It is one of the thinnest ultrabooks on the market, with a thickness of 0.7′′. The down-firing speakers are precisely positioned to avoid being muffled while on the table or on the lap. However, the sound is average, with nothing interesting or distinctive to offer; it simply does the job. The Lenovo Flex 14 has HDMI, USB-C, and a 3.5 mm headphone jack on the left side for people who are worried about ports. There was still room on the right for more connectors, so Lenovo added two USB-A ports and an SD card reader.
The problem with gaming is that while the Lenovo Flex 14 has enough capability to run games, the display and battery life are disappointing. The AMD Ryzen 5 3500 U CPU is coupled with 12 GB DDR4 RAM under the hood, providing adequate horsepower to play most games on medium graphics settings. The Lenovo Flex 14 also has a 256GB SSD, which is a significant improvement in terms of gaming and speed. As a result, the Flex 14’s performance isn’t a problem.
Overall, the battery life and display aren’t really exciting. Regardless, the Lenovo Flex 14 is a fantastic Windows tablet for gaming. The AMD Ryzen 5 is well-suited to power-hungry jobs and gaming.
BEST BUDGET GAMING TABLET -HUAWEI MEDIAPAD T5:
Due to the expense of the internal components that allow the device to handle the visuals of today’s mobile games, finding a low-cost tablet for gaming will always be difficult. Huawei, on the other hand, is recognized for its high-quality, low-cost technology. Granted, there has been some news regarding Huawei’s security and data privacy concerns, but that doesn’t detract from how amazing their products are. The MediaPad T5 model we’ve chosen is around $200, and while you would assume poor gaming performance, you’d be mistaken.
Moving on to the real specifications of this low-cost gaming tablet, we can see that Huawei has incorporated their Kirin 659 Octa-core CPU with a clock speed of 2.36GHz, which provides excellent performance while using less power than other processors. Similarly, 2GB of RAM is uncommon in this price bracket, but Huawei has managed to pack it in, allowing for enough multitasking and the play of more visually demanding games. The 5100mAh battery, which can provide up to 10 hours of movie playback, is also pretty amazing.
Looking at the screen, we can see that you’ll be getting a 10.1" IPS display with a 1920x1200 resolution, which is great for gaming owing to the size, as well as a better than 1080p resolution, which enhances those exquisite details. The brightness and colors are also excellent, resulting in an excellent overall viewing experience. The only major drawback is that you only get 16GB of storage, which isn’t much, but you can expand it using the micro SD card port, which allows you to expand it up to 256GB.
Overall, for around $200, you’ll receive a pretty high-quality gadget that should cost much more, and it’s a great choice for both the ordinary user and those seeking to do more serious gaming.
BEST PORTABLE GAMING TABLET -APPLE IPAD MINI:
For 2019, Apple decided to update their smallest tablet, and gaming on its 8-inch display is considerably preferable to gaming on a tiny smartphone screen. It’s also small enough to fit in the pocket of your jacket. The iPad Mini 2019 has hardware that is similar to the iPad Air model released alongside it, despite being priced closer to Apple’s entry-level iPad 2018.
The display was upgraded to include several premium features previously only available on more expensive tablets, making it more suited for gaming. The Mini, unlike the cheapest iPad, has a higher-quality display with no air gaps between the top glass and the panel itself. It’s a high-resolution screen that now includes Apple’s True Tone feature, which adjusts the display temperature to fit your surroundings.
In terms of performance, the Mini is powered by Apple’s A12 Bionic silicon, which gives you the same fluid experience as the 2019 Air. There aren’t many Android tablets in this range and size that can even come close to, much alone equal, the A12 Bionic’s performance. If you prefer small-screen gaming, there’s no better device than the iPad Mini. Hopefully, this will hold true until Apple releases a successor to the iPad Mini.
Whether you’re a gamer or not, the iPad Mini will not let you down. Given how well games are designed on iPads, you can expect nothing less than the best from the Mini. The main drawback is its appearance, which hasn’t altered much since the previous iteration and now appears dull.
If gaming isn’t your major goal with the iPad Mini, you’ll be happy to learn that it also works with the first Apple Pencil. Except for the strange charging issue, it’s a great pen that supports pressure sensitivity and works well with a variety of Apple programs.
BEST MID-RANGE GAMING TABLET -APPLE IPAD AIR:
The latest Apple iPad has a 10.9-inch screen and a lighter, more attractive design than prior iPad models. The bezels are narrow, and the tablet appears to be taller than it was previously. There hasn’t been much of a change in terms of aesthetics, and yeah, the Touch ID is still present.
The new iPad Air is powered by Apple’s A14 Bionic chip, which is also found in the iPhone 12. The performance is outstanding, and the software appears to be quite smooth even while multitasking. For those who don’t like the Face ID gimmick, Touch ID is still available. The iPad Air has 4-Core graphics and an A14 Bionic processor, giving it the best-in-class graphics performance in its market. It may not be as powerful as the iPad Pro, but it is absolutely enough for its function.
The new iPad Air is identical to its predecessors in terms of design, and it now has compatibility for Apple Pencil and Keyboard. This feature of the new iPad Air will appeal to gamers who enjoy graphic design and sketching. Furthermore, nothing has changed in the display department. It boasts a crisp 10.9-inch screen with a resolution of 2360 x 1640 pixels, a broad color gamut, and true-tone technology. Furthermore, the display is scratch-resistant and smudge-resistant thanks to an oleophobic coating.
On the contrary, the Apple iPad Air just has one camera; an ultra-wide lens would have been perfect. In addition, the accessories are rather costly.
Despite these flaws, the new iPad Air feels like a high-end tablet. Other rivals in this sector are pushed to the side by it’s A14 Bionic and 4-core graphics.
BEST PREMIUM GAMING TABLET -SAMSUNG GALAXY S7 & S7+:
To be clear straight away, the Galaxy Tab S7 and S7+ are the greatest tablets available on the “BEST PREMIUMLY BUILT” side, period! The pair has the most sophisticated collection of features and internals, and its supremacy is immediately obvious from the outside. The flat sides and back give it a luxury feel, while the narrow bezels are a carryover from the predecessor.
The basic S7 model may have had an LCD display, but it is still a very decent panel for everything, including gaming. If you plan on playing a lot of games, or anything else for that matter, you won’t be disappointed with the QHD panel either. The displays are very visible in direct sunlight and even accept stylus input. Your choice should be based on whatever size you want and can comfortably carry — not on their quality.
Android tablets allow you to link just about any gaming device you can find with them, and there’s a high chance it’ll work with Samsung Galaxy tablet as well. If you choose the Tab S7+ as your tablet, you’ll benefit from a dedicated controller, which frees up your hands and improves your gaming experience.
On the Android side, there is likely no rival for the Tab S7 series in terms of sheer performance, as I stated at the outset. These tablets can handle everything you throw at them thanks to the Snapdragon 865+ processor. There’s plenty of RAM, storage, and even battery life to keep up with your long gaming sessions or office work.
The Tab S7 tablets, on the other hand, are great productivity tools. The Book Cover Keyboard may be attached to turn it into a great work machine that supports the Samsung DeX productivity suite. This Samsung tablet is a true all-rounder that ticks virtually all of the boxes.
CONCLUSION:
As previously said, there are a number of excellent gaming tablets that offer excellent specifications and viewing experiences. However, if I had to choose one, it would be difficult for me to say no to Apple’s new iPad Pro. You’ll receive a beautiful tablet with a clear image and enhanced gaming performance. You’ll also get Apple’s level of quality, which means it’ll last you for years without slowing down.
On the other hand, if you don’t have a lot of money, my best budget gaming tablet under $200, the Huawei T5, is a great option. It has some of the best budget gaming performance around, and if you can get beyond the negative publicity Huawei has gotten, I’d certainly suggest it as a secondary device.
