Smartphones have almost completely replaced handheld game consoles for good reasons: they usually have excellent displays and powerful features, and there are more and more games in the App Store and Google Play Store.
The best gaming phones of 2024 are powerful components. The next generation of game consoles may be the headlines, but amazing things are happening in the hardware of Android and Apple. Processors are getting faster, displays are getting sharper, and graphics are getting more powerful. All of this means that mobile games will only get better and better.
However, not all smartphones are great for gaming. Gaming is not limited to raw power; it also includes some extra features to check before buying a gaming phone.
There are phones specifically designed for gaming, with extremely high refresh rates, touch triggers, cooling systems, amazing graphics, etc. On the other hand, some excellent gaming phones are not specifically targeted at this market. Many flagship products such as the Samsung Galaxy S24 and iPhone 15 Pro also do well in their impressive displays and high-end specifications.
The rest of this article contains a list of the Best gaming phones you could get right now. The list is divided into three categories. The first category is a list of the best gaming phones specifically designed for gaming, then we list amazing smartphones that are good for gaming, and then a list of the best cheap gaming phones right now.
Without further ado, this is a list of the best gaming phones in Nigeria in 2024.
Best Gaming Phones
1. Asus ROG Phone 8
Asus ROG Phone 8 Pro Dual-SIM – 16GB RAM, 512GB – 5G – Black
Gaming phones are always too big, the cameras are rubbish and they miss out on some everyday features like wireless charging and water resistance, Asus fixed that with the ROG Phone 8. The ROG Phone 8 is the best gaming phone out there and perhaps the best gaming phone that could also be a mainstream phone.
The phone still packs all the usual gaming extras into something smaller, sleeker, a lot better, and can be used as an everyday phone. Unlike the previous version, the ROG Phone 7, the Phone 8 feels all grown and serious. It is 9%lighter, and 15% thinner with shrunk-down bezels and feels like a premium flagship phone. The 6.78-inch screen is brighter than ever and now at 2500 nits of brightness with a super smooth 165Hz refresh rate and a 720Hz sampling rate for lower response times, all wrapped up with Gorilla Glass Victus 2.
The triple camera setup on the phone has had a huge upgrade including bigger sensors, and also features the fantastic 6 AIS stabilizer for the 50MP main lens borrowed from the Asus Zen Phones. The phone also features a 13MP ultrawide camera and 32MP telephoto lens with up to 3X zoom.
We finally got full IP68 water resistance, QI 1.3 wireless charging, and an anime vision display (the LED display at the back of the phone). For optimum performance, we are getting the best specs on a flagship phone of 2024 including a snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, 16GB RAM, 256GB of internal storage, Wifi 7, air trigger buttons, fantastic speakers, AI noise cancellation for the mic, supports Snapdragon sound and lot more. You also have an active AeroActive cooler X in the box that you can plug into the extra USB-C port to keep your frame rates high and the phone cool.
The only downside of the phone is that the battery is 8% lower than the previous generation. You’ve got a 5500mAh battery that gets charges from 0 to 100% in 1 hour thanks to the 65W charger in the box. Buy this phone if you want a gaming phone that does not compromise on essential features that serve as everyday drivers.
2. Nubia Red Magic 9 Pro
Nubia RedMagic 9 Pro Dual Sim – 12GB RAM, 256GB – 5G – Sleet
The ZTE Nubia Red Magic 9 Pro is another phone designed specifically for gaming. This phone packs a lot of specs that will take a few years to come to other Android phones. The phone has no camera bump, that is the rear cameras have no lips-catching lint and no sagging pockets, and the rear of the front is flat all around. Red Magic eliminates the protruding rear lenses and hides the entire front camera under the screen. The front camera looks non-existent but there is a 16MP front camera under the screen which can only be seen only under a microscope.
The sides of the Red Magic 9 Pro are made from aerospace-grade aluminum with corner triggers on each end of the frame for extra gaming functionality. On the rear of the phone, we’ve got a 50MP main camera and a 50MP wide-angle camera with a perfectly aligned turbofan, aesthetically complementing the array, a cooling fan, and a dual LED flash.
The display of the Red Magic 9 Pro is impressive, you’ve got a 6.8-inch AMOLED display, with a 165Hz refresh rate, 1600nits of brightness, a 520Hz touch response rate display, and protected by the corning Gorilla glass 5. Powering the device is the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, 16GB RAM, and 256GB of internal storage.
The Red Magic is no doubt one of the best gaming phones of 2024.
3. Infinix GT 20 Pro
Infinix GT 20 Pro X6871 12GB+256GB
The Infinix GT 20 Pro is currently the best gaming phone we have seen. This device comes with the Mediatek Dimensity 8200 Ultimate which is a gaming chipset, 4nm processor, Mali-G610, 12GB RAM, and 256GB of internal storage.
The 6.78-inch AMOLED display features a FHD+ display, with a 144Hz refresh rate, peak brightness of 1300nits, and eye comfort modes. The back of the phone features a Mecha loop LED light strip that can be used as an incredible OTT notifications light or to react to some gaming impact. The Phone is Android 14 and features the Infinix XOS 14, but the downside of the phone is that you won’t be getting an OS upgrade when a new Android software upgrade comes out.
The XArena app on the phone can help you customize your game settings to your preference to get the best performance for every gaming app you have on the phone. Aside from being the ultimate gaming phone, the cameras of this phone also take decent pictures. The 108MP main camera on the phone has optical image stabilization and the Inifinix camera app is fascinating. You can’t go wrong with the Infinix GT 20 Pro, this is the best gaming phone if you are on a budget.
4. Xiaomi Black Shark 5 Pro
The Xiaomi Black Shark 5 Pro has a comfortable design which means you can use it for long periods, a shoulder trigger button, an incredible in-built cooling system to prevent throttling, solid battery life, and fast charging.
The battery of the Black Shark 5 Pro features a 4650mAh new dual-cell design which means you’ve got faster charging, 120W fast charging. The phone can be charged from 0-100% in just 15 minutes which makes the phone one of the fastest charging gaming phones. The battery life of the phone is pretty decent, you get 3 hours of battery life for intense gaming.
Specs-wise, the Black Shark 5 Pro boasts a snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset, 12GB RAM, 256GB of internal storage, Wifi 6E, and 5G connectivity. The screen features a 6.67-inch OLED display, 144Hz refresh rate, and 720Hz touch sample.
The cameras are also decent. The main camera has a 108MP wide sensor with optical stabilization, a 13MP ultra-wide camera, and a 5MP macro.
Best Non-gaming Phone good for gaming
1. Samsung Galaxy S24
The Samsung Galaxy S24 is not a gaming phone and does not come with the kind of crazy refresh rate in the top gaming phones, but gaming on this phone is as well smooth. This is the best Android phone in the market right now.
This device does not only have gaming features, like shoulder trigger buttons, an in-built cooling system, 144Hz display, rear LED light, and all of those crazy features from high-end gaming phones, but it checks all the boxes when it comes to gaming performance.
Samsung Galaxy S24 comes with the best processor which is the same processor the Asus ROG phone 8 and Red Magic Nubia 9 Pro comes with, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. Unlike the 16GB RAM on high-end gaming phones, you get 12GB RAM and 512GB internal storage at max.
2. iPhone 15 Pro
Do you prefer iOS software to Android? Then the iPhone 15 pro is your best bet when you are shopping for the best gaming iPhone. The Apple A17 Bionic chipset is more than enough to power any type of game thrown at it, although you might experience phone overheating after long hours of gaming.
3. Xiaomi 14 Pro
The OnePlus 9 Pro is another all-around top-end device, but it comes with some gaming features like Hyper Touch. This feature can boost the touch sampling rate from an already-high 240Hz to 360Hz. This makes the display of this phone respond very fast to inputs, which is great when playing games.
Aside from this, this device comes with almost all the features you will find in the best gaming phones. It comes with a 6.7-inch AMOLED screen with 1440 x 3216 pixels resolution, 120HZ refresh rate, Snapdragon 888 chipset, 12GB RAM, and 256GB internal storage.
4. Oneplus 12
The Oppo Find X3 comes with a snapdragon 888 processor, 12GB RAM, 256GB storage, a 4500mAh battery, wireless charging, IP68 rating, and a 10-bit display.
This device has every one of the specs you need in a gaming phone.
5. Samsung Galaxy Note 20
The Samsung Galaxy Note 20 may not look like a gaming phone but be rest assured that this is currently one of the best gaming phones in the market. The phone comes with a display of a 120Hz refresh rate.
The Galaxy Note 20 is optimized for streaming Xbox games via Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and can even cast games to external displays through the Samsung DeX interface and Miracast.
Best Cheap Gaming Phones
1. Xiaomi Redmi Note 10
- Released Date: March 2021
- Display: 6.43-inch IPS LCD
- Resolution: 1080 x 2400 pixels
- SOC: Snapdragon 678
- RAM: 4GB, 6GB
- Storage: 64GB, 128GB
- Rear Camera: 48MP + 8MP + 2MP + 2MP
- Front Camera: 13MP
- OS: Android 11, MIUI 12
- Battery: 5,000mAh, 33W fast charging
2. Tecno Camon 17 Pro
- Released Date: May 2021
- Display: 6.8-inch IPS LCD
- Resolution: 1080 x 2460 pixels
- SOC: MediaTek Helio G95
- RAM: 8GB
- Storage: 256GB
- Rear Camera: 64MP + 8MP + 2MP + 2MP
- Front Camera: 48MP
- OS: Android 11, HiOS 7.6
- Battery: 5,000mAh, 25W fast charging
3. Infinix Note 10 Pro
- Released Date: May 2021
- Display: 6.95-inch IPS LCD
- Resolution: 1080 x 2460 pixels
- SOC: MediaTek Helio G95
- RAM: 6/8GB
- Storage: 128/256GB
- Rear Camera: 64MP + 8MP + 2MP +2MP
- Front Camera: 16MP
- OS: Android 11, XOS 7.6
- Battery: 5,000mAh, 33W fast charging
4. Xiaomi Poco M3 Pro
- Released Date: May 2021
- Display: 6.5-inch IPS LCD
- Resolution: 1080 x 2400 pixels
- SOC: MediaTek Dimensity 700
- RAM: 4/6GB
- Storage: 64/128GB
- Rear Camera: 48MP + 2MP + 2MP
- Front Camera: 8MP
- OS: Android 11, MIUI 12
- Battery: 5,000mAh, 18W fast charging
5. Infinix Hot 10T
- Released Date: May 2021
- Display: 6.82-inch IPS LCD
- Resolution: 720 x 1640 pixels
- SOC: MediaTek Helio G70
- RAM: 4GB
- Storage: 128GB
- Rear Camera: 48MP + 2MP
- Front Camera: 2MP
- OS: Android 11, XOS 7.6
- Battery: 5,000mAh
6. Umidigi A11
- Released Date: May 2021
- Display: 6.95-inch IPS LCD
- Resolution: 720 x 1600 pixels
- SOC: MediaTek Helio G25
- RAM: 3/4GB
- Storage: 64/128GB
- Rear Camera: 16MP + 8MP + 5MP
- Front Camera: 8MP
- OS: Android 11
- Battery: 5,150mAh, 10W fast charging
