Best Budget Gaming Smartphones: Top 5 mobile gaming handsets on the cheap
Mobile gaming has never been so full of options and alternatives over the last few years. In fact, this has eventually led to the development of really powerful smartphones designed specifically for gaming. It’s not similar to your typical PC experience, but it sure gets damn close.
Unfortunately, for us regular tech peons, these smartphones happen to also be exorbitantly expensive. But don’t fret. Competitive mobile gaming on the cheap is actually still achievable, and we have five of the best smartphones for this very purpose.
Evaluation Priorities and Methodology
Entries for this limited list of five will be chosen with one thing in mind: price. Eligible smartphone models must so cheap, that you are far less likely to hesitate buying them, while also being competitive enough that the experience never feels too different to that of a real-deal high-end unit.
Because of this focus, we shall slightly forego price-to-performance, and give considerably better focus on initial purchase cost of the unit of the model. This means that as a tech investment, these budget-friendly powerful pocket computers would still pack a nice punch in whatever other uses you may have for it.
Best Budget Gaming Smartphones Overview (in no particular order)
- Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro
- Huawei Nova 7i
- Samsung Galaxy A32
- Realme GT Neo
- Motorola Moto G9 Plus
RELATED: More Budget Gaming Smartphones
1. Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro 5G
Specifications of interest
| OS | Android 11 |
| CPU | Snapdragon 732G |
| GPU | Adreno 618 |
| Display | 6.67-inch 1080×2400 120Hz AMOLED |
| Memory | 64GB/128GB (internal), 6GB/8GB (RAM) |
| Wireless | WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.1 |
| Battery | 5020 mAh |
Inheriting the reins of the Redmi Note 8, the Remi Note 10 Pro continues the amazing price-to-performance ratio that has proven to be the unique selling point of Xiaomi phones over the years. The updated GPU and CPU to its next-year iteration optimizes its graphical crunching capabilities overall, and this of course includes gaming.
And that’s about it really. With a 120Hz refresh rate from its AMOLED DotDisplay panel and a hefty 5000+ mAh battery, it is capable of playing the likes of Call of Duty and PUBG Mobile, maintaining the competitive shooting edge of any expert user for hours on end and with that complete enjoyment and satisfaction for its users.
2. Huawei Nova 7i
Specifications of interest
| OS | Android 10 |
| CPU | Kirin 810 |
| GPU | Mali-G52 MP6 |
| Display | 6.4-inch 1080×2310 60Hz IPS LCD |
| Memory | 128GB (internal), 8GB (RAM), and up to 256GB (Nano Memory) |
| Wireless | WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.1 |
| Battery | 4200 mAh |
Mid-range Huawei smartphones are indeed graphically competitive, but they are mostly associated with better photo-editing capabilities. But this does not necessarily mean that its upper-class specs cannot be used effectively for gaming. The Mali-G52 MP6 is exactly the type of mid-ish tier, but as a recently developed GPU, it will offer stable frame rates without breaking the bank.
PUBG Mobile once again comes to mind for many users, though we personally recommend this more for third-person titles such as Genshin Impact. Or any game that has the better exploration experience.
3. Samsung Galaxy A32 5G
Specifications of interest
| OS | Android 11 |
| CPU | Helio G80 |
| GPU | Mali-G52 MC2 |
| Display | 6.4-inch 1080×2400 90Hz Super AMOLED |
| Memory | 64/128GB (internal), 4GB/6GB/8GB (RAM)* |
| Wireless | WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0 |
| Battery | 5000 mAh |
*64GB internal storage version only available with 4GB RAM
Does anybody still remember that amazing Galaxy A51 back from 2019? Well, Samsung seems to have done a few tweaks to its basic (app usage) offerings, and repurposed them in the form of the Galaxy A32. As such, while it may not be advertised for anything gaming-related, it still has the fairly competitive innards for such a function should you suddenly crave some 3D classic ported RPGs, especially with that very crisp and clear super AMOLED display.
Do take note though, that gaming with modern mobile titles would require at least 6GB of RAM by default, so the 64GB/4GB option is completely out the window. You might want to also lower your expectations for very intensive 3D games, as you might not consistently reach the max 90Hz refresh rate that it is infused with (maybe not even 60).
4. Motorola Moto G9 Plus 5G
Specifications of interest
| OS | Android 10 |
| CPU | Snapdragon 730G |
| GPU | Adreno 618 |
| Display | 6.81-inch 1080×2400 60Hz IPS LCD |
| Memory | 64GB/128GB (internal), 4GB/6GB (RAM) |
| Wireless | WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0 |
| Battery | 5000 mAh |
The Motorola Moto G9 Plus, based on its hardware specifications, is a direct evolution of its two predecessors, the Moto G7 and G8. Like, it is an entire tier upward, with a much higher resolution display, higher (and more) memory configuration options, and much better, far more recent CPU.
Of course, what better way to showcase its gaming potential than to demonstrate the output optimization (best-binned clocks) power of the Snapdragon 730G. If the Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro can pull off nice-ish framerates with mobile first-person shooters, then the Moto G9 Plus should be able to stabilize the performance better with its IPS panel limited to 60Hz. Or at the very least, you should be able to experience a noticeable boost to its battery life during extended gaming sessions with better hardware resource usage efficiency.
And remember, get the 6GB RAM version!
5. Realme GT Neo 5G (not Neo 2!)
Specifications of interest
| OS | Android 11 |
| CPU | Dimensity 1200 |
| GPU | Mali-G77 MC9 |
| Display | 6.43-inch 1080×2400 120Hz Super AMOLED |
| Memory | 128GB/256GB (internal), 6GB/8GB/12GB (RAM)* |
| Wireless | WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, Bluetooth 5.1 |
| Battery | 4200 mAh |
*12GB RAM only available for 256GB internal storage option
For the power users out there, an obligatory Realme entry is part of any budget gaming smartphone list. Unfortunately, the Realm GT Neo 2 went two steps beyond, as it is way too expensive now to be included here. Thus, the default goes back to the original Realme GT Neo.
Do we even have to describe the amazing gaming experience of its combined Dimensity 1200 CPU, Mali-G77 MC9 GPU, and 120Hz Super AMOLED screen? Ah well, it’s not that perfect (not always 100+ FPS), but it comes generally close with the great price-to-performance value that it offers. Oh and, 4500 mAh isn’t bad too, as it is still enough at least to push it beyond what ordinary handheld consoles could do five years ago.
Yep, you might want to permanently strap a Gamesir T4 Pro or something similar to it at this point.
