How much fun can you have with a mobile?

Gaming has always been something we do on either arcades, computers or game consoles. However, there is a gadget in our lives that is becoming more popular for gaming - Smartphones. From the outset, the very early mobile phones had a little game on them. Remember Snake on Nokia-phones? We already thought that was fun, but there is so much more to explore these days.

There is not really one specific reason for smartphones becoming go to gaming devices - there are so many! Firstly, for years we have been using smartphones to watch Youtube, Netflix and other video content. We all prefer a bigger screen for that, which is why what was once dubbed a “phablet” is now a standard screen size for many, even iPhones have gotten a lot bigger over the years. A bigger screen not only means greater graphics but also means there is more space for other things in the device, like excellent speakers and in some extra gadgets like a world class cooling system - very important when playing games. 

Gaming can be pretty demanding for a phone. You might have noticed that smartphones have become a little bit samish over the years: it has become less easy to distinguish one phone from the other. Gaming has now become a big thing for phone manufacturers, and everybody wants to create the phone to rule all gamers. A bit like the Nokia Ngage back in the day, but technically excellent. Some phone makers just add some extras to their ‘normal’ phone releases, while others create specific gaming phones that look a bit more rugged. Here are a few current phones that are excellent for gaming:

Asus’ Republic of Gamers offers great hardware for all gamers. The latest ROG Phone 3 takes this to a higher level. The Snapdragon 865 Plus processor combined with 16GB RAM can handle switching tasks easily and is powerful enough to run a bigger game smoothly. The screen has a refresh rate of 144Herts and it has a socket for an external cooling fan that comes with the device. The responsive AirTrigger sensors are something we have never seen in a phone.

OnePlus has been leaning more and more towards making excellent phones for gaming and the best of the bunch is definitely OnePlus 8 Pro. The screen is huge with its 6.8-inches and it has a refresh rate of 120 Hertz. We see phones getting a better refresh rate now, but when it comes to performance you will love this phone. Its Snapdragon 865 chip and 12GB RAM combined with Dolby Atmos stereo speakers will blow you away.

Playing a game on your phone can demand a lot of power and the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra is designed to do everything to give you the greatest gaming experience you have ever had on a smartphone. It is the first phone with 16GB RAM (and it has an Exynos 990 processor). The 6.9-inch screen looks amazing too, with its 120 Hertz refresh rate and HDR10+ support. 

Razer Phone 2 is an impressive one, though it is not easy to get your hands on one nowadays. We can’t say we are surprised, cause this gaming phone offers a 5,7-inch display with a refresh rate of 120 Hertz. The Snapdragon 845 processor with 8GB RAM offer enough power to make your game run seamlessly and the cooling system keeps your device nice and cool. 

The phones we just discussed are at a price point that is great for the specs you get for the money, but your budget might not allow for it. That’s okay, because there is now a phone for a lower budget that will still turn your smartphone into a gaming machine. We are talking about Xiaomi’s Black Shark 3 Pro, a phone with a big display of 7,1 inch and a 5.000mAh to make it last throughout the day. This phone even has AirTriggers like the ROG phone.

Want to really make your smartphone a gaming beast? You dont have to change your phone but you can have fun adding accessories to your existing device. ROG Phones have developed a whole range of specific ROG extras like a cooling belt and even a case that will give you a dual screen experience. 

Razer Kishi is a peripheral that turns your phone into a Nintendo Switch, as it offers buttons on both sides of the screen. 

Rather hold a controller exactly like your Xbox? There are many controller-like peripherals that you either click into your phone or connect via BlueTooth, like the Steelseries Stratus Duo. That way you can really push very hard and get right into your game, without being worried about damaging the screen of your phone. 

If you are a retro game fan, 8Bitdo has created a controller that gives you all of the features you need for modern gameplay but is modelled on a Super Nintendo controller!

There is nothing better than some healthy button bashing, right? These phone peripherals will do the trick, making your phone an awesome mini game console for many hours of fun.