There are a lot of games in the App Store and Google Play Store from different genres, and some are exclusive to tablets and iPads only.
Just as games have critics, tablets do, too, and I will evaluate the best gaming tablets based on specs and features that are important when it comes to games. The display size, quality, sound, battery life, operating system, performance(professors, GPU, RAM), storage capacity, controller compatibility, and budget.
In this article, I will systematically evaluate and rank the top gaming tablets according to the outlined criteria. Each tablet will be thoroughly examined, providing detailed specifications, highlighting their notable advantages and drawbacks, and accompanied by a concise overview offering insights into the unique features and characteristics that define each device.
Apple iPad Pro M2
- OS: iPad OS
- Released: 2022, October
- Display Size: 11-inch(1668 x 2388 pixels), 12.9-inch(2048 x 2732)
- Display Technology: 11-inch Liquid Retina IPS LCD, 12.9-inch Liquid Retina XDR mini-LED LCD
- Performance: M2 Chipset, Apple GPU (10-core graphics)
- Storage: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, 2TB
- RAM: 8GB, 16GB
- Battery: 7538 mAh, 10758 mAh (Up to 10 hours)
Apple iPad Pro is excellent for games due to its beautiful Liquid Retina Display, long battery life, fast processing, and great performance. You can choose between two sizes either 12.9-inch or 11-inch. It’s compatible with a variety of gaming controllers. If you plan to play with controller 12.9-inch screen size will have advantages, on the other if you don’t plan to use a controller 11-inch screen size will be easier to hold in hands.
Both models have 120Hz refresh rate and fast response times and the M2 chipset and Apple GPU (10-core graphics) are capable of handling any AAA games on the app store without any hiccups. It doesn’t get hot or loud, making it the perfect gaming device.
- Large Screen
- Great Performance
- 120Hz Refresh Rate
- Liquid Retina Display
- Wide Variety of Games in the App Store
- Expensive
- 12.9-inch Model Takes Longer To Charge
Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra
- OS: Android
- Released: 2023, August
- Display Size: 14.6-inch(1848 x 2960 pixels)
- Display Technology: Dynamic AMOLED 2X
- Performance: Qualcomm SM8550-AC Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, GPU Adreno 740
- Storage: 256GB, 512GB, 1TB
- RAM: 12GB, 16GB
- Battery: 11200 mAh (Up to 13 hours)
Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra is a great performer and can make a great gaming tablet. It has a huge 14.6-inch AMOLED 2X display, long battery life, and great processing power, but due to its size, it’s not for all gamers. Due to its size and weight, it’s not easy to hold in hand for a long period, but it’s perfect if you have a stand and a Bluetooth controller.
The Samsung Tab has fast response time to deliver a clear image and variable refresh rate support to reduce screen tearing. Making it a great choice for high-demanding games, HD movies, videos, and, of course, other tasks.
It has a microSDXC card slot if you need more storage for the tablet, and you can get it with LTE connectivity and get access to the internet from anywhere.
If you are going after a large-screen tablet with great performance and great battery life that’s thin and capable and runs Android, you won’t find better alternatives to the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra.
At Amazon, you can order it from $1349
- Large Screen
- Great Performance
- AMOLED 2X Display
- S Pen Included in Price
- You Can Play Fortnite On Android Tablets
- Wide Variety of Games in the Google Play Store
- High-refresh display with fast response time and VRR support
- Heavy
- Expensive
- Hard To Play Without Controllers
Apple iPad Mini 6
- OS: iPad OS
- Released: 2021, September
- Display Size: 8.3-inch(1488 x 2266 pixels)
- Display Technology: Liquid Retina IPS LCD
- Performance: Apple A15 Bionic Chipset, Apple GPU (5-core)
- Storage: 64GB, 256GB
- RAM: 4GB
- Battery: 5124 mAh (Up to 10 hours)
Apple iPad Mini 6 makes a great gaming tablet for a specific audience that wants to play games on the tablet without any accessories and controllers. It’s 8.3-inches big, making it easy to hold in hands. It is very compact, very lightweight, and easy to navigate.
The iPad Mini is a little behind the premium tablets above; it’s a bit slower, and it also has only a 60Hz refresh rate screen, which can be a significant factor if you want to play games on the highest level. It’s a fast and reliable device, but iPad Pro M2 and Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 are faster and with better screens.
If you want a compact tablet with good performance and good battery life from a trustworthy brand with a great variety of games, the iPad Mini 6 is a very solid choice.
You can get the iPad Mini 6 at Amazon starting at $482.
- Lightweight
- Compact Size
- Relatively Good Price
- Only 60Hz Screen
- Sort Of Old Tablet, Already
Asus ROG Flow Z13 (2nd Gen)
- OS: Windows
- Released: 2023, May
- Display Size: 13.4-inch (2560 x 1600 pixels)
- Display Technology: IPS
- Performance: 13th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-13900H, NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 4060 Laptop GPU (Multiple options to choose from)
- Storage: 512GB SSD, 1TB SSD
- RAM: 16GB, 32GB
- Battery: 56 Wh (Up to 10 hours)
If you can’t decide between a laptop and a tablet, perhaps Asus ROG Flow Z13 is the right choice for you. It has a powerful processor 13th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-13900H that can run AAA games and not slow down.
Without playing games you can get up to 10 hours for battery life. Playing games with get you around 6 hours of battery life. 7-8 hours of video playback.
Asus ROG Flow Z13 Gen 2. for gaming is perfect. It’s fast and can run any game you can imagine, but it runs Windows, and it’s more a laptop than a tablet, meaning the popular tablet games you can find on Google Play Store or Apple Store might not be available, but it opens you up to all the PC games.
It does have a touchscreen, and you can use a Stylus pen to take notes and draw on it.
It starts at $1459 on Amazon.
- Powerful Processor
- 2-in-1 Tablet/Laptop
- Expensive
- Windows App Store
Samsung Galaxy Tab A9/A9+ Kids
- OS: Android
- Released: 2023, December
- Display Size: 8.7-inch(800 x 1340 pixels), 11-inch(1200 x 1920 pixels)
- Display Technology: TFT LCD
- Performance: Mediatek Helio G99 Chipset, GPU Mali-G57 MC2, Qualcomm SM6375 Snapdragon 695 5G Chipset, GPU Adreno 619
- Storage: 64GB, 128GB
- RAM: 4GB, 8GB
- Battery: 5010 mAh, 7040 mAh (Up to 12 hours)
Samsung recently released the Samsung Galaxy Tab A9/A9+, and a bit later, they also released the Samsung Galaxy Tab A9/A9+ Kids edition. A series from Samsung are budget tablets. There are a few differences between the default A9 tab and the A9 kids tab.
The kids edition tab has kid-safe features and parental oversight tools, so you can see what your kid is doing and how long he is using the device and limit the screen time from your smartphone. The tab comes packed with coding games, cooking tutorials, art canvases, and other educational apps that make education fun.
These tablets also come guarded by specially designed anti-impact cases, these tablets are shielded against the rigors of life’s unexpected drops and tumbles.
Tablets are great way how to teach your kids valuable lifeskills without them knowing they are learning. It’s designed for kids in ages of 5-12. The A9 comes with a 60Hz screen and the A9+ comes with a 90Hz screen.
You can order it from Amazon starting at $212
- Cheap
- Parental Controls
- Kids Friendly Apps
- You Can Control Screen Time From Smartphone
- Low Storage
- Can Get Slow With Multiple Apps Opened
- Can’t Handle Heavy Games (AAA Games)
Things To Look For in Gaming Tablets
Firstly, you need to evaluate your gaming preferences. The types of games you enjoy playing, the level of performance you desire, and any specific features that would enhance your gaming experience. If you enjoy puzzle games, board games, casual games, and kids’ games, you don’t need a powerful processor for the tablet, and you can pick a more budget-friendly one. On the other hand, if you tend to play competitive action games, you probably want a tablet with a great display and performance to be able to compete with another player at the best possible level.
What To Look For in Gaming Tablet:
- Operating System: most games overlap and are available on the App Store and Google Play Store; for example, Fortnite is only available on Android. Windows App Store and Amazon App Store will have fewer games.
- Performance: determines how fast your device is and how well it can handle games on the highest settings. If you are going to buy a budget tablet, it won’t be able to run AAA games on the highest settings; sometimes, it can’t even handle them on the lowest settings.
- Battery Life: If you don’t use a controller, the wires in your tablet add to the discomfort, or if you travel a lot, you want a reliable tablet with great battery life and fast charging.
- Display: Resolution, refresh rate and brightness. These are all important factors if you want to play on the highest settings and get the best possible results.
- Storage: Some games are heavy, and if you play a lot of them, I would consider opting for high storage capacity.
- Budget: Quality, storage, performance, display, and brand all of these things add to cost. If you want a high-end gaming tablet, but you are on a tight budget, I would recommend buying a refurbished tablet. You can get them even with a warranty.
- Audio: Audio is often underrated when it comes to gaming. You need a good audio to hear all the details and experience the game as it’s supposed to be experienced.
- Brand: Brand is important when it comes to picking a gaming tablet. Premium brands like Samsung and Apple are more reliable with software updates and security updates, and overall, they will last longer.
- Size: The larger the tablet, the harder it gets to hold in your hands, and if you are playing games on a 14-inch tablet without a controller, it can get uncomfortable. If you plan on playing games with a controller and you have a tablet stand, I would say the bigger the screen, the better; if you don’t plan to play video games with the controller, I would advise picking a more compact size.
Top Tablet Games and Their Size
| Game | Size |
| Genshin Impact | 3.5GB |
| Call Of Duty Mobile | 2.8GB |
| Asphalt 9: Legends | 3.2GB |
| Clash of Clans | 290MB |
| PUBG Mobile | 2.7GB |
| Minecraft | 1GB |
| Pokemon Go | 350MB |
| Among Us | 830MB |
| Candy Crush Saga | 310MB |
| Roblox | 200MB |
While each tablet operating system features some exclusive games, there is considerable overlap, particularly between iOS and Android. The Amazon App Store, HarmonyOS, and Windows OS provide slightly fewer gaming options. Chrome OS tablets, while equipped with the Google Play Store, often come with limited processing power, restricting gameplay to less demanding titles.
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I'm a writer and editor in iPads & Android Tablets, Windows Tablet section. I'm passionate about technology, especially about tablets. I'm on a mission to assist people in discovering their ideal tablets. In addition, I'm dedicated to producing helpful how-to guides and sharing top-notch tips and tricks. In my early carrier I founded and became and editor at worldoftablet and have been a guest author at many other tech blogs. In wolfoftablet I'm focusing on iPads, Tablets, Apple Pencil, Apps, Reviews, Buyers Guides and Tablet Accessories. In free time I like to play games on my PS5 or iOS.