It seems like only yesterday when Magnavox released Odyssey, the very first commercial home video game console introduced in 1972. Fast forward to 2020, people are no longer glued to their living rooms while holding joysticks. Instead, gamers are now using their mobile phones or, better yet, gaming tablets.
With its portability and convenience, tablets have now become a gamer’s weapon over the last couple of years. For quite some time, Samsung’s Galaxy Tab has struggled for relevance, mainly due to Apple’s iPad which proves to be the top-notch choice for most consumers.
A tablet’s versatility, style, and cost are some of the factors which made it an in-demand new category of electronics. In this article, we have cherry-picked the best gaming tablets in the market today, including Apple’s iPad, Samsung’s Galaxy Tab, and their runners-up.
The Best Gaming Tablets
The best gaming tablets of today are not entirely distinct from one another. All of them have a few standout features which make them optimal for both gamers and typical tablet users.
Display/Resolution | 2048 x 2732 pixels |
Processor | A12Z Bionic |
Operating System | iPadOS 13.4, upgradable to iPadOS 14 |
RAM | 6GB RAM |
Storage | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB |
Camera | 12 MP, f/1.8 Main Camera, 10 MP, f/2.4 Ultrawide, 7 MP, f/2.2 Selfie |
Battery | Li-Po 9720 mAh |
The iPad Pro 12.9-inch
The stark difference from its predecessor is that iPad Pro 11-inch comes slightly lighter and is not entirely laminated. These engineering changes make the iPad Pro easy to repair should there be a need. While it works well outdoors, users might find themselves needing to crank the brightness all the way up to see what’s on the screen.
Those who use tablets for games and work will be served well by this product, thanks to the A12Z Bionic chipset paired with octa-core CPU and GPU. In terms of battery life, Apple’s iPad is capable of running for 10 hours.
Display/Resolution | 1600 x 2560 pixels |
Processor | Qualcomm SM8150 Snapdragon 855 |
Operating System | Android 9.0 (Pie), upgradable to Android 10 |
RAM | 6GB RAM, 8GB RAM |
Storage | 128GB, 256GB with MicroSD slot |
Camera | 13 MP Wide, 5 MP Ultrawide, 8 MP Selfie |
Battery | Li-Po 7040 mAh |
The Galaxy Tab S6
Its engineering design makes the Tab S6 lightweight and feels well on the lap. It can also fit in most small bags as well. Moreover, it comes with an ‘S Pen’ and is kept in place by magnets on the oblong indent on the back.
While iPad Pro has a slight advantage when it comes to screen size, Tab S6 does not fall short in being the best option among all Android gaming tablets in the market. Although, it is a bummer to know that Samsung does only offer the Tab S6 in a 10.5-inch display.
Additionally, Samsung claims that the Snapdragon 855 processor makes the Tab S6 a good substitute for laptops — if users can live with some quirks and the absence of some desktop applications.
Perhaps one of the starkest developments of the Tab S6 is the inclusion of a fingertip sensor, the same ultrasonic technology found on the Galaxy Note 10 Plus. However, it’s optical, making it unsafe and less reliable than most security features on mobile devices.
Display/Resolution | 12.3in LCD 2736 x 1824 (267 PPI) |
Processor | Intel Core i5 or i7 |
Operating System | Windows 10 Home |
RAM | 8GB, 16GB |
Storage | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB |
Camera | 8MP Main Camera, 5MP Selfie |
Battery | Up to 13 hours of moderate usage |
Microsoft has released a number of units under its flagship device, the Surface Pro. The most recent releases are the Surface Pro X and Surface Pro 7, which are good for gaming given its 12.3 inches display screen. However, it seems Microsoft has really focused on making their new Surface Pro an alternative for PC laptops that are meant for office works.
Microsoft Surface Pro 6
The Surface Pro remains a stand out due to its compactness, versatility, utility, and weight. It’s IPS screen offers a huge resolution of 2736 x 1824 pixels. This tab also has a battery life of up to 13 hours, rivaling its competitions, and checks the brief for gaming tablets.
Display/Resolution | 1536 x 2048 pixels |
Processor | Apple A12 Bionic |
Operating System | iOS 12.1.3, upgradable to iPadOS 14 |
RAM | 3GB |
Storage | 64GB, 256 GB |
Camera | 8 MP Main Camera, 7 MP Selfie |
Battery | Li-Ion 5124 mAh |
Despite paling in comparison to the smoothness of the iPad Pro and the bright display of Samsung’s AMOLED, the iPad Mini’s 7.9-inch
If you are spending most of your time playing, this unit’s battery life proves to be less than stellar. However, the overall experience with games that require much less action and graphic use can be unrivaled due to its A12 Bionic chip. As expected, iPad Mini comes at a price that is typical of Apple and there is strong competition for products of this size in the market.
Display/Resolution | 1752 x 2800 pixels |
Processor | Qualcomm SM8250 Snapdragon 865+ (7 nm+) |
Operating System | Android 10 |
RAM | 6GB RAM, 8GB RAM |
Storage | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB |
Camera | 13 MP Wide, 5 MP Ultrawide, 8 MP Selfie |
Battery | Li-Po 10090 mAh |
A good tablet device in 2020 should be able to perform both as a tablet and computer, with capacities to execute high duty tasks, including games. In short, it needs to be versatile in terms of its use. In that regard, the Samsung Tab S7+
Aside from its portability, Samsung Galaxy Tab S7+ offers a super AMOLED display panel that does the job for gamers who can’t get away with a bigger, shiny, and crisp screen display. With some games not designed for smaller screens and Microsoft introducing cloud gaming on Xbox Game Pass, this tablet will serve users well.
However, Android is an OS that has not proven itself to be optimized quite well for tablets unlike its competitor, the iPadOS. Samsung could have just made the Tab S7+ an alternative for PC laptops, given its internal engineering design and storage capability.
Display/Resolution | 2400 x 1600 |
Processor | Intel HD615 GPU, 3.3 GHz CPU |
Operating System | Chrome OS |
RAM | 8GB |
Storage | 128GB |
Camera | 8 MP |
Tech experts have regarded Google Pixelbook i5
Google gives a 2400 x 1600 (235 ppi) resolution format with an IPS screen bolstered by Corning Gorilla Glass, making display viewable from any angle without compromising the image quality. Its internal engineering design boasts quality hardware and exceptional performance. This comes on top of the Chrome OS operating system which makes the user interface (UI) of any Chrome OS device clutter-free and easy to navigate.
Display/Resolution | 1200 x 1920 pixels |
Processor | Exynos 7904 |
Operating System | Android 9.0 (Pie), upgradable to Android 10 |
RAM | 2GB, 3GB |
Storage | 32GB, 64GB, 128GB |
Camera | 8 MP Main Camera, 5 MP Selfie |
Battery | Li-Po 6150 mAh |
The Galaxy Tab A 10.1-inch
Paling in comparison to its newest relative, the Galaxy Tab A falls short of having an AMOLED display and has 1920 x 1200 resolution. However, it comes close to the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 in the aspect of processors, as this bad boy runs with octa-core. It would be hard to press on this gaming tablet as it also offers a multitude of possibilities from a mid-range price point.
Display/Resolution | 1,920 x 1,200 pixels |
Operating System | Amazon Fire OS |
RAM | 1 GB, 2G |
Storage | 16 GB, 32GB |
Camera | 2 MP front and rear |
Battery | 7-12 hours |
Regarded as one of the best and cheap gaming tablets for kids, the Fire HD 10 Kids Edition
This age-appropriate tablet is perfect for kids below nine years old who would not be firing up Fortnite any time soon.
Of course, buying a gaming tablet for kids is not just a spur of the moment decision. It involves careful consideration of its availability, durability, specs, and on some occasions, its warranty. If your tab of choice has those, then it probably checks the brief.
Display/Resolution | 1920 x 1200 pixels |
Processor | Kirin 659 |
Operating System | Android 8.0 |
RAM | 3GB RAM, 4GB RAM |
Storage | 32GB, 64GB |
Camera | 8 MP Selfie and Main Camera |
Battery | Li-Po 7500 mAh |
The Huawei MediaPad M5 Lite
The MediaPad does run on EMUI 8.0 OS, which is based on Android 8.0. With its battery-saving technology, game enthusiasts will find this device hard to press especially on extended game time.
Display/Resolution | 1280×800 Pixels |
Processor | Mali T720 MP2 520Mhz, MTK MT8163B Quad-Core, 1.3 GHz, 64bit |
Operating System | Android 7.0 |
RAM | 2GB |
Storage | 116GB, 32GB, 64GB |
Camera | 5 MP |
Battery | 4680 mAh |
Getting the market’s best gaming tablet comes at a hefty price. But sometimes, a few options arrive at a cheaper rate yet is still capable of bringing the best tablet gaming experience. The ASUS ZenPad 10.1
The ASUS ZenPad is also equipped with a 4,600 mAh battery and has a battery-saving mode designed for players who love an extended game time. It runs on Android 7.0 Nougat OS, making the ASUS VisualMaster Suite optimized for sharpness, brightness, contrast, and other display specs.
Display/Resolution | 1920 x 720 pixels |
Operating System | Android 7.1 Nougat |
RAM | 4 GB |
Storage | 32 GB |
Battery | 6000mAh |
GPD XD Plus
This 5-inch display bad boy comes with some powerful hardware, including a 1.7GHz CPU, PowerVR GPU and operates with built-in Vulkan Engine support atop an Android 7.0 OS.
Display/Resolution | 1280 x 720 pixels |
Processor | NVIDIA Custom Tegra processor |
Storage | 32 GB |
Battery | 3,570mAh |
Breaking the list of gaming tablets and phones is the Nintendo Switch Lite
With Thanksgiving and Holidays coming, the Switch is a perfect gift to any video game enthusiast as it has almost the same price point as some other affordable gaming tablets. While the games for this device can only be bought from Nintendo’s Game Store, it does offer a variety of titles such as Fortnite, Super Smash Bros, Mario Kart, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Skyrim, and Minecraft.
Display/Resolution | 600 x 1024 pixels, |
Processor | Mediatek MT8127 |
Operating System | Customized Android 5.1 (Lollipop), Fire 5.4 |
RAM | 1GB RAM |
Storage | 16 GB, 32 GB |
Camera | 2 MP |
Battery | Li-Ion 2980 mAh |
The Amazon Fire
Fire 7 has a fairly basic and compact 7-inch design. While it definitely is not the top choice for a gaming tablet, it does pretty well when in terms of performance and ergonomics.
Takeaways
Owning one of these tablets does seem to check the brief for those who wish to get their works done, as well as those who just want to enjoy their ‘me’ time by watching movies or playing video games. While most features in these tablets pretty much resemble what smartphones do offer, the decision to own a second (or even a third device) does boil down to classifying the intended purpose of each device.
If you’re one who does a lot of typing while on the road and then prefers to enjoy some time off afterward, we do suggest owning a tablet and then combine it with detachable keyboards with trackpads and mouse. Otherwise, if you’re just after the thrill of playing some hardcore video games, choosing the best gaming phones might just do the trick for you.