For true gamers, there is never a time when the gaming stops. While many gamers will take to their phones for a quick game while on their commute home from work or school, or while they are relaxing, a gaming tablet provides more processing power and a bigger and better screen to game on, while being more portable than a gaming laptop.
The best gaming tablets have the processing power to handle pretty much all mobile and app-based games, and when you aren’t gaming, these tablets are also great to inspire creativity, get work done or just watch a movie on your favorite streaming app. For many of these gaming tablet options, you essentially get the power of the best laptop, with the mobility and portability of a tablet.
It’s time to stop gaming on your phone’s tiny screen and enjoy the benefits of having a premier tablet for both gaming and everyday use.
Here are our recommendations for the best tablets for gaming below.
1. Apple iPad Pro
BEST OVERALL
The Apple iPad Pro is a tablet gamer’s dream. For starters, the large Liquid Retina display looks amazing as you game while the powerful A12 Bionic chipset and eight-core CPU do all the heavy lifting, making even the most intensive games stream seamlessly. The OS even offers trackpad and mouse support to satisfy more traditional gamers. On top of all that, the dual cameras and lidar sensors provide better-augmented reality for gamers. And of course, if you aren’t gaming, you still have one of the most powerful tablets on the market.
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2. Apple iPad Air
ALSO GREAT
The A14 Bionic chipset provides the kind of power and speed that gamers need. While the chipset is working hard on the inside, the 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display will have you marveling at how incredibly smooth, bright and vibrant games look and play. Like the iPad Pro, you can also team a keyboard and trackpad with the tablet for a more traditional gaming experience. Considering all of that, it is incredible that the iPad Air only weighs a pound, making it one of the best and most portable gaming tablets around.
3. Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus
BEST ANDROID GAMING TABLET
Samsung’s answer to the powerful line of Apple iPad’s is a worthy adversary. The Snapdragon 865 Plus chipset is incredibly powerful and makes light work of most mobile games. And as you’re playing, you’ll be more than happy with the 12.4-inch AMOLED display and super-smooth 120Hz refresh rate. Even more impressive is it packs all of this technology inside of its slim profile while keeping the weight to a more than manageable 1.2 pounds. And when you toss in an S-Pen, this tablet becomes all the more enticing, not only for gaming, but in general.
4. Amazon Fire HD 10
MOST POWERFUL FIRE TABLET
If you want a bigger display and a little more oomph to your gaming, the Fire HD10 is a better choice than the Fire 7. The eight-core processor has more processing power and the Fire HD 10 has a bit more battery life than its predecessors, so you can mobile game a little harder and longer. And when you aren’t in the mood for gaming, you can use the Fire to stream your favorite content, make calls and surf the web. And the best part, it’s super affordable.
5. Microsoft Surface Pro 7
SPLURGE PICK
Considering the Quad Core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, this gaming tablet is more on par with a gaming laptop as opposed to tablets, especially since it can virtually handle some of the same games that a gaming PC can. Attaching a keyboard and pairing it with a mouse only adds to this machine’s gaming prowess. When you aren’t gaming, the Surface Pro is a great choice for your daily driver or office grinder with plenty of versatility for entertainment and work-based processing.
6. Samsung Galaxy Tab S7
ANDROID TABLET RUNNER UP
A more affordable alternative to the S7 Plus juggernaut is the S7. It sports the same chipset as its Plus counterpart but it forgoes the AMOLED screen for a less awesome LCD panel, yet the 120HZ refresh remains for ultra-smooth scrolling and gameplay. Both the S7 and S7 Plus are powerful enough for console-level gaming especially when paired with an Xbox subscription and Bluetooth-enabled controller. If the S7 plus is a hair out of your price range, the S7 is just about as great.
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7. Microsoft Surface Go 2
WORK AND PLAY
For those who like to sneak in a game or two when they have a break from work, the Surface Go 2 has plenty of power to be your office laptop and your mobile gaming tablet. It is an awesome two-in-one choice when paired with a keyboard and mouse, making both work and gaming easier to manage. The Surface Go 2 doesn’t quite have the same horsepower as the Surface Pro 7, but you can save a bunch of coin going with the Go 2 and still have the ability to get your mobile gaming on.
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8. Amazon Fire 7
GREAT FOR TRAVEL
When you want a gaming tablet that’s small and portable, as well as one that fits your tight budget, the Amazon Fire 7 is worth consideration. Its small 7-inch screen makes it ideal for travel. When you decide to break it out and game, the quad-core processor has enough horsepower for the majority of mobile games. When you aren’t gaming, the Fire OS makes it easy to access all of your favorite streaming and entertainment apps to keep you entertained. It’s not nearly the most powerful gaming tablet available, but it’s the right size and so is its price tag.
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you don't need a laptop when you have one of these tablets for college