If you don’t have a console or computer and your smartphone screen is too small, then a tablet can prove an ideal gaming companion. Here are the best ones.
The idea that gaming is something you can only do on a souped-up, multicolored PC — or on the box under your TV — is dead. Mobile gaming is more popular than ever, luring millions of people with a wide range of challenges from matching three fruits in a row to colonizing planets. The best Android and iPhone games vary widely, but sometimes the lack of smartphone screen real estate can cramp your style. If portability is still a prime factor, then split the difference with the best gaming tablets.
While the emerging category of dedicated gaming phones may be starting to heat up, the idea of specialized gaming tablets seems to have died with the Nvidia Shield. The best gaming tablets today are somewhat — though not entirely — distinct from our best tablets, but they have a few standout features that make them optimal for gamers as well as overall tablet users.
Two things that set the iPad Pro head and shoulders above the crowd when it comes to gaming are the enormous, sharp, and smooth 120Hz display and the completely unrivaled raw processing power. We’ve highlighted the 11-inch model as the best pick because it’s a little more affordable and manageable, but if you want to get lost in something like Civilization VI, then the 12.9-inch model is even better. Pairing this tablet with some of the best iPad Pro games will be enough to keep the most demanding of gamers happy.
There’s also the new iPadOS 16, with Metal 3 gaming software, bringing the MetalFX upscaling and quick loading API found in the latest Mac update, meaning you can download bigger assets in the background while running other games (and apps). The Game Center gets an update too, with SharePlay integration for smoother co-op gaming, plus a new Activity screen that makes it easier to see friends’ progress and high scores.
Apple’s tablets stand apart from the Android crowd because of the level of polish and the optimization of many apps, and nowhere is this difference starker than with games. This is also a great-looking tablet, with convenient Face ID built in, and a host of fun augmented reality apps and games. Battery life is good enough to keep you gaming on the go for hours.
